INTERVALS-THE NEWSLETTER OF DAVID LIEBMAN

MARCH 1999

HI EVERYONE:
I have had a good response to this online format and I appreciate the
feedback. It is kind of nice doing this myself and keeping it more personal.
Again if you wish to be removed from the subscriber’s list just go back to
my web site and unsubscribe. If you are on my personal list and did not wish
to be added let me know. I assure you that this list will not find its way
to any spammers or whatever they are called for mass mailings!!

COMMENTS ABOUT FEBRUARY ACTIVITIES
JAPAN TOUR: Our duo tour of Japan (with pianist Phil Markowitz was great. We
had been there a few years ago and recorded  for the small label set up by
Mr.Takonori Sugauchi, who is the director of the Koyo Conservatoire in Kobe.
The recording, titled “But Beautiful” sounds great and we are of course
looking for distribution of the CD in the rest of the world. If anyone has
an idea let me know. There were a few gigs in small clubs that were amazing
because the people who run these places in Japan are absolute experts on the
music. They produce in front of your eyes records and photos of you long
since forgotten in some cases. And the audience is incredible-eyes closed,
concentrated energy and truly THERE. In Tokyo, some business people and
musicians attended whom  I have known since my first time in Japan with
Miles Davis in 1973. In fact, my official first record as a leader (not
counting Open Sky with Bob Moses and Frank Tusa for Gene Perlas’s PM label
which was a cooperative venture) was in Japan during that tour along with
Dave Holland, Richie Beirach and Jack DeJonette, titled “First Visit”. That
amazing rhythm section was in Japan with Stan Getz at the same time. There
is no doubt that jazz has lost some of its incredible popularity there and
the sagging economy doesn’t help, but outside of the tremendous wear and
tear of a nearly 24 hour trip getting there and back, it still is great to
visit—and the food is something else!!!

JF JENNY-CLARKE MEMORIAL CONCERT IN PARIS: This will definitely stand as one
of the greatest memories of my recent musical life. First of all the
gathering at the best club in Paris, the New Morning, of such an illustrious
group of musicians in dedication to JF(and by association for me for Michel
Pettruciani and Kenny Kirkland as well) was special-Francois Janneau, Michel
Portal, Richard Galliano, Joachim Kuhn, Daniel Humair, Henri Texier, Jean
Paul Celea and Aldo Romano. Everyone played in a different format and we
closed the night with a group “India”-as Trane was one of JF’s inspirations.
His wife Anne was grateful and most of all is that special feeling you get
in Paris with the audience-they come as part of the family in a
way-appreciative, loving and respectful. It was a great night and
financially very successful for Anne.

GRAMMY: As I expected, Chick Corea and Gary Burton received the award for
Best Jazz Solo. They are incredibly great and multiple winners so for me to
be even mentioned in the same list was a privilege. Thanks to those of you
who sent me wonderful words of good luck and encouragement. It was a great
ride for the past few months!!

MARCH EVENTS
I will be at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island with the school
big band  conducted by Matthew McGarrell doing some of my tunes arranged by
various composers over the years such as Tom Boras, Greg Yasinitsky, Bill
Dobbins and others. The second set which was put together by saxophonist Dan
Moretti features the music from my first recording with Elvin Jones in
1991,”Genesis” which featured the unusual front line of three tenors(Frank
Foster, Joe Farrell and myself) along with Gene Perla on bass and “Emperor”
Jones on drums. We performed this music at the IAJE Convention in Anaheim
with a wonderful Latin based rhythm section in January and it was a big
success. I know that the great drummer from Boston, John Ramsay and bassist
Bruce Gertz will be joining us at Brown.

At the end of March I will be with the trio of Jean Paul Celea (bass) and
Wolfgang Reisinger(drums) at the Banlieu Bleu Festival in Paris followed by
a workshop at the jazz school EDIM in Paris, then a concert in Nimes,
France. This trio who I have been playing with for a few years will have our
second release on the French Label Bleu,”Missing A Page” coming out at this
time. Having just heard the final mix I am very impresssed with the sound of
the instruments and the way we played together. This trio bears a similarity
to the first organized group I played with,”Open Sky”, back in the early
70s. We play some harmonic tunes, free heads and some ethnic textures also.
I play piano a little bit in the group also. Jean Paul is a master bassist
coming out of the classical tradition (playing with Pierre Boulez among
others) who has such command of the instrument, that it is astounding. He
has just been appointed as Bass Master at the very prestigious Paris
Conservatory, an incredible position for a man who has his feet in both
worlds. Wolfgang is a real contemporary jazz drummer out of the DeJonette
mold-loose as a goose with a nice use of electronic drums as well. I am very
happy playing with this trio and incredibly we have had a good success in
France.( I don’t think such a group could ever happen here in the good old
U.S., sorry to say!)

I will furnish more details in the next newsletter about the Dave Liebman
Group California tour and the Knitting Factory in New York. For people in
the Pennsylvania area, we will be at the Deerhead Inn in Deleware Water Gap
with the group on Saturday, April 3rd.

Remember to check out my web site for articles, publication lists, samples
from recent CDs and more as well as being able to reach me and each other.
It is www.davidliebman.com/lieb.

Finally, former participants of my annual Saxophone Master Class again are
reminded to send their deposits to me to secure a place for this 12th year
reunion.

Peace from Lieb-