David Liebman Group

On David Liebman's trips to Europe, as with many of his gigs in the U.S., he chooses to play with so-called "pickup" bands. In Italy, one of his favorite and most skilled combos features drummer Tony Arco, bassist Paolo Benedettini, and pianist Roberto Tarenzi, a trio more than capable of knowing Liebman's tendencies, having played with him on numerous occasions overseas. As a result, they play Liebman's original music and standards favored by all four participants, done with no filler, some hefty solos, and a wonderful sense of the teamwork expected from a seasoned ensemble. These performances are culled from club dates in Florence, Bari, and Lamezia Terme, full of the fire and passion that Liebman's playing on tenor or soprano sax is known for…

Veteran saxophonist, flutist, and composer Dave Liebman leads this stellar Italian group in a live outing recorded in 2005. The band consists of the great Tony Arco on drums, bassist Paolo Benedettini, and pianist Roberto Tarenzi. The quartet roots its sound deeply in the modal investigations of Miles Davis and the inquisitive yet expressive improvisational explorations of Coltrane circa A Love Supreme. This isn't idle praise; it's simply what the music bears out. The interplay and listening between bandmembers - and in particular the rhythm section - are remarkable. Liebman, who has played many different kinds of jazz with more people than even he can count over these last 30-plus years, moves effortlessly from full-blown modal articulations on the soprano to deep bluesy tenor playing and back to the soprano to improvise on Turkish and Jewish folk melodies in his solos…

Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach have known each other for forty years. They don’t need to talk to understand one another, notes suffice. They get along harmoniously. Their bond dates back to the sixties when they played together in the group “Lookout Farm” led by Dave Liebman…

David Liebman Quintet - If They Only Knew (1980) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 286 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 106 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 247 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1980, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6341
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Post Bebop / Fusion / Saxophone / Guitar

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. Comes with a descripton in Japanese. There's a lot of great chromatic elements going on here – thanks to the work of John Scofield on guitar, who's at that key point where he could effortlessly balance melody and tone with these edges that are sharp, but also very spacious – kind of a wide style that really reaches out and wraps up the rest of the players in the group! Not that the record's one of John's as a leader, because the real driving force here is David Liebman on tenor and soprano sax – but he also seems to let Scofield set the tone at many times – which opens up work from the rest of the players, who include Terumasa Hino on trumpet, Ron McClure on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. This approach makes the record a lot less arch than some of Liebman's other material from the time – and titles include "Reunion", "Moontide", "Move On Some", "Autumn In New York", "If They Only Knew", and "Capitstrano".

Sound explorations are emphasized throughout this release with Jeff Palmer's atmospheric organ, the varied tones of John Abercrombie's guitar synthesizer, David Liebman's very passionate soprano and Adam Nussbaum's drums interacting over a variety of patterns. All of the compositions are group originals with five by Palmer and one apiece from the other three musicians. Whether it be the funky beat of "Hip Slick," the free jamming of "Mr. Adam," the spacey title cut or the almost New Age feel of "Mr. John," the themes are less important than the setting of moods and the advanced improvising.