Chicago-born alto and soprano saxophonist Lee Konitz is considered one of the leaders of the cool jazz movement, especially after his tenure in Lennie Tristano's quintet in 1946 and the famous Birth of the Cool sessions in the Miles Davis nonet from 1948 to 1950. Gifted with a beautiful, fluid tone, he completely set himself apart from the other alto players who were heavily influenced by Charlie Parker. On his 1961 album, Motion, he reinterprets jazz standards in the cool jazz mode, making this album a classic of the genre.