INTERVALS: THE NEWSLETTER OF DAVID LIEBMAN-FALL 2000
HI
TO EVERYONE:
Just to mention that if you don’t wish to receive this newsletter you can unsubscribe through the web site (if that is how you subscribed in the first place) or directly to me if this came as an e-mail. Some people may be on both lists, so if you receive two copies PLEASE go to my web site and unsubscribe since that will be the easiest way. I am always adding people whom I think would be interested but that assumption may be erroneous and I apologize if this is the case. To all new readers, I welcome you to the newsletter which I have been doing by mail since 1993 and electronically as of last year.
I
encourage first time visitors to go to my web site which is revised several
times a year. It offers in-depth articles, a list of available publications
and CDs with sound clips, private photos and recordings of historic interest,
information about my annual Saxophone Master Class and the International
Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) and more. The address is www.davidliebman.com/lieb
Playing in a saxophone section as part of a big band was not part of my apprenticeship at any stage of development. Although I played in some quasi big band situations during my teenage years for hotel gigs in the Catskill Mountains near New York City and on occasion was part of a recording session in that setting over the years, the closest I got to being part of the big band tradition was when trumpeter Bill Chase called me to join Woody Herman’s Band in 1969. When I told him that I just began working steadily at a small club in New York called La Boheme with drummer Pete LaRoca (for five dollars a night!), he understood immediately and wished me luck.
On the other hand I have been featured soloist with big bands around the world and in many university situations as well as recorded several times in that setting. I have to admit that standing in front of 15 plus musicians is a big kick and an indescribable feeling. Also I am fortunate to have had many writers take my original compositions and arrange them for big band. For myself I will admit that the thought of writing for such a large ensemble is daunting and I have never tried it. (Truthfully, writing for four instruments seems to be enough of a challenge.) I have too much respect for the big band masters past and present to even dare such a thing.
Yet, I have never performed with a big band outside of a few of the schools in New York City clubs, reserving that for my small group activity. So for the fall season, with the aid of my long time collaborator, saxophonist Gunnar Mossblad, I am putting together a big band for a series of performances at the Knitting Factory, Birdland, East Stroudsburg University, the Deerhead Inn and at the IAJE Convention in New York. The arranged compositions represent all stages of my thirty years from Lookout Farm in the 70s through the present group. In fact, both Tony Marino and Vic Juris will be part of the band. Drummer Marko Marcinko is with me filling in for Jamey Haddad who will be on tour with Paul Simon. Some of the arrangers are Vince Mendoza (most recently writing the music on the latest Joni Mitchell orchestra project), Jim McNeely who has been a long time writer for the Vanguard Orchestra, Tom Boras who heads the jazz department at New York University and of course Bill Dobbins with whom I have collaborated on all sorts of large projects over the past decades. I do hope to record it and of course encourage the folks in the New York area to come out and hear the music. (Look at itinerary below.)
When
I was hearing Coltrane regularly in the clubs of New York during the early and
mid 60s, each new record release was an event. I was a fan, and like any avid
enthusiast as soon as the record was in the stores I had to have it. For me,
the Trane discography sort of chronicles those years and my own stages of
growth and appreciation of jazz. And of course I knew the recordings inside
and out and still marvel at how great they are. Although I have some
misgivings about releasing out or alternate takes of a dead artist from the
ethical standpoint, there is no doubt that for musicians at least, to hear
other versions of classic material is like getting rain during a
drought…..you feel like a novice again!! Tony Marino gave me a cassette of
Coltrane’s alternate takes included in the Impulse boxed set released
recently from those years and it is incredible. For example, “Crescent”
which is my favorite track of all the Coltrane repertoire is played
magnificently here. There are some similar phrases that appear on the original
(released in 1964-65) with enough similarity to appreciate the control and
disciplined approach Trane applied to recordings, but above all his sound and
logic is astounding. The same is true for “Bessie’s Blues”(with the most
swinging Elvin), “Resolution” and others. Also the several relaxed
attempts by the group at getting the opening downbeat together of “Dear
Lord” is fun to hear. By the way, that tune is remarkable in the Coltrane
canon because of its absolutely clear, simple diatonicism (D major-very
bright) and almost sing-song melody, played very literally by the group. I
highly recommend any Coltrane devotee to hear at least these tracks from the
boxed set. For me, it is reaffirming to hear fresh Trane and realize that the
influence he had on my life was so great and positive in many respects, beyond
music, for helping keep the light shining above me to strive for. I think that
outside of my parental and family life, Coltrane was the most important force
I experienced.
Like most musicians on tour, I read a lot. In fact I get a lot of work done on tour as far as writing and studying. Usually the books of choice are non-fiction, history and so on, but recently I was given this book by Irish bassist and good friend Ronan Guilfoyle with that kind of look that when one sees it means …”you have to read this one Dave!”
Written by Chaim Potok, set in Brooklyn in recent times, it is the story of a Jewish Chasidic child with a gift for painting and how he nurtures it within the context of the very strict environment surrounding him. It is of course insightful about the values of the Chasidic sect and its relationship to the outside world whereby everyone born into it is expected to tow the strict line of obedience to God. The inner and outer conflicts that are caused by Asher’s searching artistic nature can be related to by all of us. More so, there are a lot of wonderful descriptions of how painters see the world and what they try to do with the brush. I have always felt a painter’s milieu is very close to the improviser in attempting to portray the inside feeling of in their case a visual entity, while for us it is sound through notes. Finally, what this book really shows is that an artist must deal with where and what (s)he comes from before he can see who (s)he really is. You cannot deny your roots-you must see your way through the context from which you come and then transform it into your own vision. I think many people have read this book, but if not I highly recommend it.
I don’t want to be negative in these newsletters. There is of course plenty to complain about in our business but there are many others adept at doing that. However, when I read an article in Downbeat about Bob Karcy and Arkadia Records, with whom as some of you may remember I had a few releases several years ago, I was incensed. It painted this picture of a guy who loved the music and was helping the musicians. Anyway, trying not to sound like sour grapes I wrote a letter to Downbeat, which of course they didn’t print. Here is what I wrote and unfortunately this kind of thing is and has been common in the jazz business for years.
May 19 2000
RE:THE BIZ COLUMN-AGGRESSIVE MARKETING-BOB KARCY/ARKADIA RECORDS-JUNE ISSUE
Since Bob Karcy includes me in the illustrious company of Billy Taylor, Benny Golson, etc., as Arkadia artists with whom he has ”had relationships…for years”, I think your readers and especially musicians looking for label signings should know some relevant aspects about this guy. You get the picture of a real dedicated, honest and hard working lover of the art form. But what about respect for your artists?
Karcy jokingly says it was his “charm” that seduced us to sign with an unknown label and the truth is that to some extent this is true. For a jazz artist, statements like: “establishing a long term relationship”, “your music will always be in the catalogue”, “we will develop artistic projects”, ”conduct aggressive promotion”, etc., are what you want to believe. And for a while, even though things were disorganized and chaotic (which is understandable for a new, basically one man operation ), the stories going back to Charlie Parker and beyond about record companies ripping off artists turned out to be true. Karcy has never given me a statement on sales for all four CDs, nor my share of mechanical royalties on my compositions. (I wonder if he paid Coltrane’s estate for my rendition of Meditations or Jobim’s Zingaro which I recorded.) I have never received half of my “advance” on a recording done over two years ago, not to mention that the CD itself has been held back from release as of this writing. Also, I can’t see how “aggressive” the promotion is if when I somehow got Pat Metheny to record for a small label (Water:Giver of Life) and the promotion was nowhere near the possibilities. This is after one of my previous recordings secured a Grammy nomination (Best Solo) for the label-is this “aggressive marketing?”
None of this is new to experienced musicians. As mentioned it has been going on since time immemorial. It’s a hard business and all that; small companies are the life-blood of the music and all that. Of course I (and at least one of the above mentioned musicians) severed the relationship. I am in litigation as a matter of principle, because financially it will cost more than I will receive, if anything. This all may seem like “sour grapes”, but in our business everything is word of mouth and reputation. This man is not cool and young musicians hungry for a deal should be wary, even though he seems “charming”.
David Liebman
RECENT
ACTIVITIES:SKETCHES OF SPAIN
In early June I performed Sketches of Spain at the Guildhall School in London under the direction of Scott Stroman. As I have mentioned before, that recording with Miles and Gil Evans is for me the pinnacle of all music, beyond category. It was a privilege and incredible challenge to play the entire suite. The mixture of classical musicians with young jazzers at the school was interesting and I must admit that I heard parts in the music that I didn’t notice on the recording. I added synthesizer, percussion and acoustic guitar for some of the vamps and transitions between sections but the music was the same otherwise. I got goose bumps when the trumpets come in so strong on a few sections and as usually happens when you get inside a piece of classic music, you end up with even more respect for the original version and how the musicians handled the situation. The challenge for the lead player is to balance intensity with lightness, movement of lines with stillness and complete control of dynamics. I do hope to perform it again and again.
INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS: 11th ANNUAL MEETING
The 11th Annual Jazz Meeting held at the Paris Conservatory was a great success with participants from 21 countries and nearly 40 schools. The staff was fantastic and everything worked perfectly. The facility is of course first rate with wonderful Steinway and Busendorfer pianos in rooms named the Chopin Room or the Ravel Room, etc. We had jam sessions at a great club called Le Duc des Lombards in a lively area of Paris and the final ensemble concerts as part of La Villette Festival near the school. The level of the students was as high as always and the ensemble concerts were spectacular. I was very pleased with the performance I had at the festival with the Conservatory big band under the direction of Francois Thebarge playing the suite that Bill Warfield wrote for me, “Le Jazz Hot” which is dedicated to the rich cultural life of Paris in the early 20th century. The second part of the concert included several of my oldest European associates:Daniel Humair, Jean Paul Celea, Francois Janneau, Joachim Kuhn and Michel Portal. We played some of my music dedicated to the memory of departed French bassist, Jean Francois Jenny Clarke as well as Coltrane’s India.
Our 12th Meeting will be next June at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. The centerpiece of that meeting will be producing CDs for every participant of their performances both live and in the studio. Also there will be ample opportunity for the students to get some hands-on training with computers, synthesizers and so on which of course Berklee offers in abundance. I look forward to meeting the next group of participants from all over the world in Boston.
13th
SAXOPHONE MASTER CLASS
The
13th Saxophone Master Class included 22 students representing eight
countries. This is the largest group that has attended the class at East
Stroudsburg University ranging in age from twelve (that’s right) to forty.
The students performed at the Deerhead Inn with Phil Markowitz/piano, Jim
Oblon/drums and Tony Marino/bass. Guest speaker this year was the wonderful
George Garzone. As always, the wonderful Pat Dorian helped tremendously
throughout the hectic week as well as my wife, Caris and daughter Lydia. I
work hard in this week but enjoy doing it for such a dedicated group of
people.
INTERESTED
PARTICIPANTS FOR AUGUST 2001 SHOULD CONTACT LIEB IN JANUARY FOR EXACT DATES,
COST AND TO SEND A TAPE FOR AUDITION PURPOSES.
SEPTEMBER:With the Dave Liebman Group at the COTA Festival and the Deerhead Inn(separate dates) in Deleware Water Gap, Pennsylvania; the River Street Café in Scranton, Pennsylvania; also on tour in Japan; Norwegian tour with the PetterWettre Trio;with Ron Bosse and Pursuance at Cheney Hall, Manchester,Conneticut celebrating Coltrane’s birthday
OCTOBER:Japan tour with Dave Liebman Group(continued);appearances at the Santa Fe Jazz Festival, New Mexico and at the Blue Note, New York City; premiere performance of the David Liebman Big Band at East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania; appearance at the Corpus Christi Festival, Texas with the Paul English Group
NOVEMBER:Special four days at the Knitting Factory, New York City:with the Manahattan Saxophone Esemble plus Howard Curtis on drums and percussion;with the David Liebman Big Band for two nights; in quartet with Tony Marino(bass), Jim Oblon(drums) and Dave Ballou(trumpet); clinics at the University of Miami and Florida International University;appearance at the University of Louisville(Kentucky) Saxophone Weekend 2000;on tour in Holland with Reuben Van Roon-Miles Davis Flashback Tour:Electric 70th
DECEMBER: concert with pianist Marc Van Roon in Holland;workshop for the Irish Arts Council, Dublin;concerts in Germany with Far North Group(Lars Daniellson, Jon Christensen, Bobo Stenson);performances with the David Liebman Big Band at the Deerhead Inn and Birdland, New York City
I have been a subscriber to the Atlantic Monthly for years. It is an excellent and thoughtful magazine. The feature article for the September issue is about the whole Napster, MP 3 situation and the record companies. Basically it says that all this legislation is premature and ridiculous and of course the companies have been ripping the artists (of all persuasions) off for years. Very well written!!
Finally on a plane ride home from Norway I read “Lush Life’, the biography of Billy Strayhorn by David Hadju. It’s enjoyable to read and highly illuminating about this genius’ relationship with Duke and other notable personalities of the period. (By the way, for me, “Lush Life “ is the most perfect of songs- harmonically, lyrically and melodically, written very early in Strayhorn’s career.) When Duke spoke at the funeral he said some wonderful words about his friend and associate which I think could serve as a model for anyone:
“He demanded freedom of expression and lived in what we consider the most important and moral of freedoms: freedom from hate, unconditionally; freedom from self pity; freedom from fear of doing something that would help someone more than it does him; and freedom from the kind of pride that could made a man feel that he was better than his brother.”
All my best to everyone for a healthy and happy autumn and hope to see some of you on the road!!
Peace