 Leonard Joseph " Lennie " Tristano ( March 19 , 1919 – November 18 , 1978 ) was an American jazz pianist , composer , arranger , and teacher of jazz improvisation . Tristano studied for bachelor 's and master 's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New York City in 1946 . He played with leading bebop musicians and formed his own groups , which included Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh . He played in Europe in 1954 and 1961 and in Japan in 1974 . He taught at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Unterscheidung zwischen „Lennie Tristano“ und