Dave Liebman - John Coltrane’s Meditations (January 2022 Arkadia Records)

“…the music is simply terrific. Water is Liebman’s first recording with Metheny, and it’s a solid combination… if he just keeps making records as engaging as this one, that’ll be libation enough: a tall glass of water.”

– Downbeat Magazine

20-time Grammy Award winner Pat Metheny plays alongside saxophone virtuoso David Liebman as he leads this remarkable quartet, that includes Jazz architects Cecil McBee and Billy Hart, as they examine the expansive and elusive nature of the primordial element, Water. From impressionistic ballads to tsunamis of sound, David Liebman’s Arkadia Records album, The Elements: Water is probably the most ambitious project of Liebman’s career.

“Here’s a Jazz concept album that actually works quite well… The combination of Liebman and Metheny is particularly strong, ranging from soft, ethnic-sounding passages to roaring avant-garde explosiveness – a potent reminder that there is far more to Jazz in the ‘90s than the more frequently heard, retro examinations of the past.”

– Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times

“They produce a greater variety of timbres and textures than most quartets due to Liebman doubling on tenor and soprano sax and wood flute and Metheny employing several guitars: acoustic, electric, guitar synth, and Pikasso guitar. Each group member plays impressively. Liebman has a bright, attractive soprano sound and displays considerable rhythmic grace when playing the instrument. On tenor he’s powerful; his solid full lower register work deserves special attention. And what a nice, big flute sound he produces.”

– Harvey Pekar, JazzTimes Magazine

Teaming up with guitar prodigy Pat Metheny, reedist David Liebman, who plays tenor saxophone, soprano sax, and wood flute, explores through music the various aspects and facets of water, giver of life and refresher of souls. The combination of Liebman and Metheny on this album is stunning. While the Arkadia Records album, Dave Liebman: The Elements: Water, leans towards Jazz’s less traditional sensibilities, it also contains an earthy quality that connects it to the sounds of nature, and in doing so creates an organic yet contemporary album that’s both accessible and inventive. 

1. Introduction 00:52

2. The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost 13:44

3. Compassion 10:55

4. Love 12:24

5. Consequences 07:35

6. Serenity 09:24

Composed by John Coltrane

Transcriptions by Caris Visentin

David Liebman: Tenor sax

Vic Juris: Guitar

Jamey Haddad: Drums and percussion

Phil Markowitz: Piano and synth

Tony Marino: Bass

With Special Guests:

Billy Hart: Drums

Cecil McBee: Bass

Tiger Okoshi: Trumpet

Caris Visentin: Oboe

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David Liebman Group - New Vista (December 2021 Arkadia Records)

“Critics’ Picks – Top 5 Recording of the year.” – JazzTimes, Chuck Berg and Bret Primack

Arkadia Records recording artist, jazz soprano sax virtuoso Dave Liebman, together with his group and the great Brazilian percussionist Café, breaks new ground in this inspired album, entitled “David Liebman: New Vista”. Mixing Brazilian rhythms with penetrating ballads such as “Estaté”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Zingaro (Portrait in Black and White)”, this recording is, in the innovative Liebman’s words, his “most upbeat release to date.”

“His effervescent “New Vista”… reflecting the music of Brazil, Liebman sounds unusually comfortable and relaxed, as his fluid, cleanly articulated soprano lines dart, weave and flutter through the shifting grooves… Liebman displays a marvelous lyrical facility, bringing a beautiful, somewhat breathy tone to the seductive rhythms and intoxicating melodies. He adds tremendous warmth and feeling to these tunes… It’s hard to recall a Liebman project as buoyant and immediately appealing as New Vista.” – Downbeat, Jon Andrews

David Liebman’s New Vista is an extraordinary adventure. That, though, is what we have come to expect from Liebman, one of contemporary music’s true innovators. Although having just passed the half century mark, Lieb is playing with an intensity pulsing with youthful energies.

“At the same time, his playing possesses a Solomon-like wisdom. On one level, there’s a brilliant reconfiguring of the past, of Dave’s own considerable legacy, as well as those of Miles (Davis) and Trane (John Coltrane). And yet the music springs from the immediacy of the moment. So while imbued with the spirits of the giants, Dave’s impassioned quests once again push past the present and into the future.

In the aptly titled “New Vista”, arguably Dave’s most assessable project to date, the inspiration comes in large part from Brazil. This, though, is not the Bossa Nova of your father – or mother. Indeed, it’s an electro-Amazonian voyage into an exotic and rhythmically charged neo-musical hyperspace, a magical realm in which myth and dream dance with joyous abandon.

I have no doubt that New Vista will stand as a landmark in Liebman’s already distinguished career. Its appeals are many. Its impact is immediate. Indeed, it’s serious and joyous fun at the summit by one of our great contemporary artists, saxophone extrodinaire, Dave Liebman.” – Dr. Chuck Berg

“Liebman has evolved a persuasively personal voice and a spare approach that not only focuses on the choice notes but the choice timbre to set them off.” – Gary Giddins, The Village Voice

Most well known as a key member of the seminal Miles Davis Quintet in the 1970s, Dave Liebman, along with notable musicians Phil Markowitz, Tony Marino, Jamey Haddad, Vic Juris, and Brazilian percussion master Café, creates this thrilling CD, “David Liebman: New Vista” that fuses Jazz with Brazilian influences; culminating in an exhilarating recording of Dave Liebman’s individual musical vision. 

1. New Vista 06:47

2. Estaté 05:18

3. Real Dreams 07:06

4. So Far, So Close 05:23

5. Christmas Socks 06:03

6. Beauty and the Beast 05:29

7. Jungle Glide 07:00

8. Zingaro (Portrait in Black and White) 05:52

9. The Gross Man 05:58

David Liebman: Soprano sax and tenor sax

Vic Juris: Guitar

Phil Markowitz: Piano and synth

Tony Marino: Bass

Jamey Haddad: Drums and percussion

Café: Percussion

Produced by: Bob Karcy

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Charles Pillow Large Ensemble - Electric Miles (SUMMIT RECORDS 2018)

NYC seasoned BIG band led, conducted and arranged by Charles Pillow celebrate the early electric period of Miles Davis!

''Electric Miles'' celebrates the music of the early electric period of Miles Davis with big band arrangements of classics from Bitches Brew, On the Corner, Jack Johnson and In a Silent Way.

Trumpeters Tim Hagans and Clay Jenkins are featured as the Miles voice with Dave Liebman appearing on Black Satin and Yesternow. Also featuring trombonist Michael Davis, Pillow on alto sax/alto flute; the band is powered by the rhythm section of drummer Jared Schonig and bassist Chuck Bergeron.

The band is full of NYC seasoned pros and peppered with up and coming musicians. conducted and arranged by Charles Pillow.

Charles Pillow comes from Baton Rouge, LA. After college at Loyola University, he pursued his Masters Degree in Jazz Studies at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, NY. Since moving to NYC in 1987, he has appeared on over 100 recordings of jazz, pop luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey, Jay Z,Luther Vandross, Paul Simon, Michael Brecker, Bruce Springsteen, John Scofield, Tom Harrell, Dave Liebman, David Sanborn, to name a few. In addition to an active performing and recording schedule, he is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music.

Over his long and varied career, Miles Davis recorded several seminal jazz orchestra albums in collaboration with the great arranger Gil Evans. Those disciplined affairs (''Sketches of Spain'' and others) were in stark contrast to Miles's wild, improvised, ''electric'' period that produced records like ''Bitches Brew.'' Charles Pillow Large Ensemble's ''Electric Miles'' brilliantly fuses these two aspects of Miles's oeuvre with gorgeous big band arrangements of tunes from ''Bitches Brew,'' ''Jack Johnson,'' and ''In a Silent Way.''

Featured soloists Tim Hagans and Clay Jenkins ably take on Miles's role on trumpet while Pillow takes flight on alto sax and alto flute. Dave Liebman, who participated in the original sessions a half-century ago, contributes soaring soprano sax solos on ''Yesternow'' and ''Black Satin.'' All of the soloists, including Michael Davis (trombone) and Luke Norris (tenor sax), are outstanding, but the stars here are Pillow's arrangements, with beautiful voicings on more subtle tunes like ''Sanctuary'' and a powerful punch on compositions like ''Pharaoh's Dance.''

Ron Netsky -- Rochester City Newspaper

1 Pharaoh's Dance 9:03

2 Bitches Brew 7:59

3 Black Satin 8:02

4 In a Silent Way 6:43

5 Directions 7:35

6 Sanctuary 5:13

7 Yesternow 9:26

8 Spanish Key 7:14

Charles Pillow, arranger, alto sax, soprano sax. flute, alto flute

Colin Gordon, alto sax, soprano sax, flute

Luke Norris, tenor sax, clarinet

CJ Ziarniak, tenor sax

Karl Stabnau, bass clarinet

Michael Davis, trombone

Abe Nouri, trombone

Jack Courtright, trombone

Gabe Ramos, bass trombone

Tony Kadleck lead trumpet

Charlie Carr, trumpet

Clay Jenkins, trumpet

Tim Hagans, trumpet

Julian Garvue, electric piano / Chuck Bergeron, electric bass/ Mike Forfia, acoustic bass on “Sanctuary”, “In a Silent Way”/ Jared Schonig, drums

Special Guest:

David Liebman, soprano sax

David Liebman | John Stowell - Petite Fleur: The Music of Sidney Bechet (ORIGIN RECORDS 2018)

"...a conversation between masters of their craft...sensitive and sublime...a marvelous collection of melody, harmony and joie de vivre."

JAZZ WEEKLY

Though a legendary figure from his monumental contributions to the clarinet and soprano saxophone's role in jazz, it was the compositions of Sidney Bechet that inspired master saxophonist David Liebman and guitarist John Stowell to dig deep into his catalog to compile and explore this set of rarely heard gems. Each possessing singular voices themselves that have inspired generations of other performers, Liebman & Stowell have created a very personal and intimate duo project celebrating another giant's work, their conversations making for compelling listening. "Guitarist Stowell and saxophonist Liebman find simple ways to express their expansive lexicon, and raise the intensity without shattering the resultant peaceful ambiance." - EMUSIC.

1 Petite Fleur (Duo) 2:33

2 Daniel 5:09

3 When the Sun Sets Down South 5:24

4 Premier Bal 5:46

5 What a Dream 4:09

6 Petite Fleur (John Solo) 3:50

7 Passport 5:56

8 Creole Blues 5:49

9 Nous Deux 5:19

10 Si Tu Vois Ma Mere 5 57

11 Summertime 6:44

12 Petite Fleur (Dave Solo) 2:36

David Liebman - Soprano Saxophone, Wood Flute, Piano

John Stowell - Steel and Nylon-string Guitars, Fretless Baritone Guitar

Produced by John Stowell

Recorded by Kent Heckman at

Red Rock Studio, Saylorsburg, PA

Recorded in April 2017

Mixed by Mike Doolin at

House of Doolescu, Portland OR

Mastered by Dan Dean at

DDP Productions, Mercer Island, WA

Photography by Melvin Bishop

Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Three Reeds Quintet - Across Two Centuries (feat. David Liebman, Federico Benedetti, Romano Pratesi, Paolo Ghetti & Mauro Beggio) 2016

David Liebman alla presentazione dell’album “Across two centuries”

Il sassofonista americano di fama mondiale in concerto con il gruppo gruppo "Three Reeds Quintet" al Jazz Club

Lieb concIn occasione dell’uscita del Cd “Across two centuries”, al Jazz Club Il Torrione di Ferrara si terrà un concerto di presentazione dell’album, mercoledì 11 maggio alle ore 21.30.

La presenza nel gruppo “Three Reeds Quintet” –  insieme a Federico Benedetti al sax alto, Romano Pratesi al clarinetto basso, Paolo Ghetti al contrabbasso e Mauro Beggio alla batteria – di David Leibman al sax soprano e tenore, basta a fare di tale occasione un evento da non perdere.

David Liebman, jazzista americano di fama mondiale, oltre ad aver fatto parte dei mitici gruppi di Miles Davis negli anni 70, ha collaborato con Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Elvin Jones, Pat Metheny, in più dei propri progetti e di un’incessante attività didattica culminata con la creazione dell’Associazione Internazionale delle Scuole di Jazz, Iasj. Una carriera esemplare nella costruzione di un progetto artistico coerente e senza compromessi hanno fatto di David Liebman un modello per almeno due generazioni di jazzisti.

David Liebman, soprano sax

Federico Benedetti, alto sax

Romano Pratesi, bass clarinet

Paolo Ghetti, double bass

Mauro Beggio, drums

01. Across Two Centuries

02. Boo Doo

03. Pablo’s Story

04. Like a Monkey in a Rocket

05. Blue Rose

06. Brite Piece

07. Thinging

08. Blindfold Test

09. Caruso

10. Pendulum

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