Lennie Tristano
Pianist
Incorporated cool jazz, bebop, post bop, and avant garde into his work. He was a highly respected jazz improvisation teacher.
His 1949 recordings with saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh, Intuition and Digression, were considered by jazz historians as the first recorded examples of free jazz/free improvisation.
He is remembered for two breakthrough jazz albums: 1955's Lennie Tristano, which experimented with overdubbing and altered tape-speed, and 1962's The New Tristano, which showcased the density and potential possessed by a solo jazz pianist.
He was born to Italian immigrants.
He never hesitated to sing the praises of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker, two of his greatest inspirations.