The Dave Liebman Big Band LIVE – As Always – MAMA Records MAA 1039, 59:26 ****:
The creative side of Dave Liebman is on full display in this live recording of his big band entitled “As Always”. The six tracks on this disc are all extended pieces composed by Liebman and are intended not only to showcase the band, but also the virtuosity of the leader on both soprano sax and wooden flute.
The seventeen piece band is not like the chart-burning organizations that were fronted by Buddy Rich or Woody Herman. This cerebral group is well studied along the lines of the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band or the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band. The compositions they play have complex arrangements, require a high degree of musical culture, and encompass unusual harmonic structures. Entrusting his compositions to a coterie of arrangers, Andrew Rathburn takes “A Bright Piece” one of Liebman’s early tunes, and provides an ensemble mosaic on which Liebman builds his impressive soprano solo. There seems to be some confusion regarding the name for this composition. In the liner notes it is shown as “Brite Piece” and on the album back cover it is called “A Bright Piece”. The title track “As Always” was arranged by Pete McGuiness as a gentle ballad, but evolves into something more furious with Leibman’s solo, before reverting to the original theme.
The two following compositions “Anubis” and “New Breed”, were arranged by band member Scott Reeves, and couldn’t be more different. The former, which has a more out of the ordinary Middle Eastern treatment, not only provides an introduction by Liebman on wooden flute, but other members of the band, such as Charles Pillow on oboe and Chris Karlic on bass clarinet, chip in with attention-grabbing solos. On the latter tune, which is scored more along conventional jazz lines, pianist Jim Ridi is given an opportunity to shine, together with Liebman’s lively soprano sax.
The final two tracks are “Philippe Under the Green Bridge” and “Turn It Around”. Of the pair, the latter is the more interesting. Arranged by Guri Agmon, it begins with a Marko Marcinko drum solo and then segues into an intense guitar solo from Vic Juris, which is followed by Liebman on soprano sax, where he convincingly displays the influence of John Coltrane. Marcinko then takes the tune out with his impressive drum work.
Given the economics of trying to keep a big band in place for regular gigs, it is not surprising we have not heard Dave Liebman more frequently in this setting, given these sides were recorded in 2005 and 2007. That’s a pity.
TrackList: A Bright Piece; As Always; Anubis; New Breed; Philippe Under the Green Bridge; Turn It Around.
— Pierre Giroux
