The saxophonist who collaborated with Miles Davis on 'Birth of the Cool' has passed away at the age of 92 after contracting Covid-19 amid the global pandemic.
- April 17, 2020
AceShowbiz - Jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz has died at the age of 92 after contracting the coronavirus.
The star, who famously worked with Miles Davis on his album "Birth of the Cool", passed away in a New York hospital on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, his son Josh confirmed to America's National Public Radio.
Konitz was born in Chicago in 1927 and first learned the clarinet aged 11 before switching to alto saxophone, and finding fame by recording with Davis during his 1949 and 1950 sessions for what remains one of the most famous jazz albums of all time, "Birth of the Cool".
He also worked with close pal and fellow saxophonist Charlie Parker, as well as bandleaders such as Stan Kenton and Claude Thornhill, and was still performing into his 90s. He toured Europe in 2018 and and even played a special private concert on his 92nd birthday.
The jazz star is the second prominent Miles Davis collaborator to have died from coronavirus - as Davis' protege Wallace Roney, who won a Grammy for interpretations of his mentor's work, died earlier this month, aged 59.
Konitz is survived by two sons, Josh and Paul, and three daughters, Rebecca, Stephanie and Karen.
