The seamless, freely wandering imagination that alto saxophonist Lee Konitz brings to his interpretations of standard themes has become his stock in trade. It's no wonder he's had the lasting interest that he has, still performing in international venues to appreciative audiences.

In this reissue of a 1983 release, we hear Konitz accompanied by a frequent and sympathetic collaborator, the Algerian-born French pianist Martial Solal. Between them, Konitz and Solal have a wealth of experience, the pianist having performed with musicians such as Sydney Bechet and Django Reinhardt, and the saxophonist having collaborated with the likes of Lennie Tristano and Miles Davis. The depth of their experience comes though in the hair-trigger interaction between them in their rending of the five standards ("Just Friends," "Star Eyes," "Body and Soul," "What's New" and "Cherokee") and four originals, at least two of which � "April" and "Subconscious-Lee" � are based on the chords to standards.

With the players responding and inventing as they go, they weave fresh restatements of well-worn themes in phrasing that is light and free, unlike much that passes for jazz in recordings of American song book standards which is nowhere near the sophistication of these artists. These master musicians raise the songs from diamonds-in-the-rough to the status of true gems.

"Star Eyes" perhaps best exemplifies the stretching of melody and harmony that these two go for, and while most of the standards are recognizable at one point or other, we do really get "recomposition" of the tunes, with fresh takes on the melodies and not rote reiteration, which is what jazz is supposed to do!