Lennie Tristano, also known as Tristano, is a 1956 album by jazz pianist Lennie Tristano. At its release, the album was controversial for its innovative use of technology, with Tristano overdubbing piano and manipulating tape speed for effect on the first four tracks. The final five songs are concert recordings. Originally released as Tristano's Atlantic Records debut, the album was released on CD in 1994 by Rhino Records in combined form with Tristano's 1960 follow-up, The New Tristano, and as part of a collection, The Complete Atlantic Recordings of Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh, in 1997. It was subsequently re-issued in original form and track-list order by Warner Jazz (2002), Rhino (2003) and Collectables (2004).
In 1997, The New York Times dubbed the album a masterpiece.AMG describes the album as "gorgeous...with a beautiful juxtaposition between the first half and the second half between the rhythmic and intervallic genius of Tristano as an improviser and as a supreme lyrical and swinging harmonist on the back half".
Tricky mandatory saving life and glory
Sum of my demon till ways of my say devotion
May isolder blast be argentine ending
Conquering out stepping not remember conquering angina
Conquering out stepping not remember conquering...
In decadence I take thee by the hand
too frail... to gain the promised land
too frail... to take your pain away
too frail... a sequel of decay
May millenniums gather
on the mirage of desolated souls
far between departure and sorrow
I breed my afterthought
In thy hours of vast dejection's haunt... wane
An angel strays upon my door
so frail and lost within
To weep upon her days of yore
my decadent come in
Her stain and tears upon my floor
the sorrow that she brings
Devotion of a life outworn
in decadence come in
May thy lids desorb from emerald seas
a pending solitary
Though thy pain redeems, life it seems to be