Dave Liebman saxophone 1946 USA
1. What musicians, from 1900 onwards, would have made up your « dream band? » You would be one of the musicians in this « dream band ?
My “dream band” would be the John Coltrane Quintet, which Trane
had as his working band for some months, in the early 1960s, when
Eric Dolphy was in the group. With respect, I would’ve been more
than happy substituting for Eric. Trane’s group swung like hell; it
incorporated the most sophisticated harmonies of the century along
with more than a few memorable melodies. But beyond the musical
elements, the group also hit the spiritual mother lode of what great
art is about besides virtuosity: energy, beauty, depth of feeling and
most of all complete honesty and sincerity.
2. What is one of the most memorable musical events of your career so far?
There are two equally important concerts for me. With my frst
group as a leader (“Lookout Farm”) that I put together after several
years apprenticing with Elvin Jones and Miles Davis, we had just
fnished a tour of Japan and landed in Calcutta, India for American
government sponsored concerts in eight cities. Getting out of the
airport driving to the hotel, I noticed trucks stopping and going, a
pungent odor and candles in tents on the streets, I was informed
by the government rep that the trucks picked up dead bodies on a
nightly basis. The whole band was quite shell shocked when we met
the next day and began our activities. When we fnally hit the stage
that night, the vibrations from the people, as well as our emotions,
were overwhelming.
The other event was a concert in 1987 (which Richie Beirach has
written about for this survey) celebrating Coltrane’s passing with
Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette, Eddie Gomez and Richie. When
we began the duet portion of the program (“After the Rain” and
“Naima”) with the audience cheering, the spotlight on Richie and
myself, a giant picture of Trane in back of us, playing with my best
friend and a band of idols/friends remembering Coltrane, I thought
to myself this is the Mount Everest of my life . . . It doesn’t get better.
3. What is your wish for the twenty-first century?
The words might be a bit corny but peace and love, coupled with
respect for cultural differences, alongside a feeling of empathy for
the downtrodden, is what I would hope for.
— Title of the book:
3 Questions for Today’s Jazz Musicians— Link to find the book:
https://cricketpublisher.com/books/three-questions/
