Born: September 4, 1946 Primary Instrument: Sax, sopranino
Visionary American Jazz master Dave Liebman , French pianist Jean- Marie Machado, and American multimedia visual artist Barbara Januszkiewicz have teamed up in a wordless conversation, each in their own language responding to the other in a dialogue of musical notes and paint. Liebman’s solo saxophone artistry on his Colors album is the inspiration for the kaleidoscope of color, images, and brushstrokes Januszkiewicz captures moment by moment on her canvas. As they play off each other’s voice or visual expression in an ever-changing musical palette, the music takes on a visual rhythm and colorful beat and transforms the way you look at a painting or listen to jazz music.
On How It Feels To Play By Dave Liebman
What does it feel like when you are in the vortex, the eye of the hurricane? To me it is aptly put by the French; you are (at least temporarily) “Le Roi du Monde.” For those moments when I (as a horn player) am playing in front of a good rhythm section, I am simply “the king of the world”—everything is perfect!! One is in complete control; you can do whatever you want within that space inhabited at the moment. You are truly the master of the universe...not the cliche.. the real deal! Getting to that place takes years of experience and observing those who are ahead of you on line. There is a confidence, an unseen swagger, an assertiveness (even if the music is gentle). It's so good that all you want is to repeat it... like a junkie...hooked forever.
George Carlin, one of the all time great comedians and observer's of the human condition in his autobiography(Last Words) describes the feeling I'm referring to: “There is nothing happening in the universe outside of that reality and that experience. When besides that I'm being rewarded with all this approval, attention, approbation for something that is solely mine and only I can do. There can't be anything better than that. To be intensely alone, intensely myself, in control of everything, the center of a self created universe.”
http://www.jazzvisiontrio.info/jazzvisiontrio/Review_Liebman_ Machado.html
Awards:
Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June
2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement
award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Last Updated: November 14, 2012
”Abstract painting, especially when it involves a lot of shapes
and colors is as close to jazz as any other art form can be.
When I play, it is the shades of emotion and degrees of
tension and release that I am involved with, much like the
visual artist. We are on the same plane.” Dave Liebman
The Jazz Vision Project: “ I remember back in the ‘60s at so-
called “happenings” when a painter would do their thing, while
I played and a dancer improvised …all at the same time. “
Dave Liebman
“Jazz vision is a wordless conversation between musical
notes and visual expressions.” Barbie Januszkiewicz
“ Liebman's sound offers me an visual expressions in an
ever-changing musical palette “ Jazz can be a blank canvas
full of possibilities.”” Barbara Januszkiewicz
“Jazz is the art of thinking out loud.” Barb Januszkiewicz
“Jazz vision is the fusion of music and art a real paradox of
same-yet different. Here we play in exchanges, like the
hardness of the key of c# major and from the softness of Db
major—— capturing, reflecting and improvising. Jazz vision for
me is seeing my art in musical terms.” Barbara
Januszkiewicz
Eternal Moments
Monday, March 21, 2011
Reviewed by: Ian Mann
The empathy between the two musicians is immediately
apparent and the playing is natural and unhurried.
This delightful duo album features one musician who
represents a new (and very welcome ) name to me and
another whose music I’ve been listening to for over thirty
years.
The new discovery is pianist Jean- Marie Machado, born in
Tangiers and now resident in Paris where he has become a
major presence on the French music scene.
Machado’s exotic Portugese/Spanish/Italian ancestry is
reflected in his music. He is a prolific composer and has made
eighteen recordings as a leader over the course of the last
twenty years. His groups include Trio Time, the nonet Danzas
and Sextet Andaloucia featuring British saxophonist Andy
Sheppard. Other notable jazz figures with whom Machado
has collaborated include Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu,
French pianist Martial Solal and American drummer Paul
Motian. A genre straddling artist Machado has also written
music for contemporary classical ensembles and for poetry
and theatre.
I first discovered saxophonist Dave Liebman back in the late
70’s when I heard his “Lookout Farm” and “Drum Ode”
albums for ECM. The former Miles Davis sideman later
formed the band “Quest” with pianist Richie Beirach, bassist
Ron McClure and drummer Billy Hart. I remember witnessing
a blistering performance by this quartet at Brecon Jazz
Festival back in the 80’s. A master of many jazz styles
Liebman has recorded prolifically and is today considered to
be one of the world’s greatest saxophonists. He is also justly
famous for his work as an educator. Many of the UK’s finest
contemporary saxophonists have studied with Liebman. In
recent years he has collaborated with British guitarist Phil
Robson, resulting in a couple of very welcome live
appearances in nearby Cheltenham.
“Eternal Moments” represents the second album from the
pairing of Machado and Liebman. The first, “Caminando”
(2008) drew its inspiration from the Portugese fado tradition.
“Eternal Moments” is more firmly rooted in jazz with the
programme consisting of a mixture of originals by the two
protagonists alongside outside material from such diverse
sources as Thelonious Monk and Maurice Ravel. Liebman is
credited rather baldly with “saxophones”. He features mainly
on soprano saxophone but also appears on flute.
The album commences with Machado’s attractively melodic
“Little Dog Waltz” with Liebman on soprano. The empathy
between the two musicians is immediately apparent and the
playing is natural and unhurried with Liebman allowing his
partner plenty of room for some beautiful passages of solo
piano. There’s a controlled beauty about this performance that
gets the album off to an excellent start.
Liebman switches to wood flute for the opening of Machado’s
“Les Yeux De Tangati”. It’s an instrument which he utilised to
good effect on those live appearances with Robson. Later he
moves back to soprano and the dialogue with Machado is
again both instinctive and immaculate on this excellent
episodic composition. At times he sounds almost bird like,
that’s the feathered variety, not the great Mr. Parker.
Liebman’s own “The Gravel And The Bird” again features him
on soprano, sinuously curling around the measured pianistics
of Machado. The younger man strikes a good balance
between his jazz and classical leanings as the spirits of Monk
and Tyner rub shoulders with the influence of Debussy and
Ravel.
It all comes together on “Le Reveil De La Mariee” in which the
duo turn Ravel’s tune into an extended modal piece featuring
Liebman’s most unfettered soprano blowing thus far, piercing
the darkness created by Machado’s Tyner-esque block
chords.
“So A Notinha (Saudades De Ti” by Amadeu do vale and Raul
Ferrao-Frederico Valerio renews the duo’s fascination with
fado, developing out of an almost abstract introduction
featuring the overtly ethnic qualities of Liebman’s wood flute.
The attractive central theme is explored leisurely by Liebman
on soprano, underpinned by the distinctive shifting fado
rhythms of Machado at the piano.
Thelonious Monk’s “Ugly Beauty” is the final item in a
sequence of investigations of outside material. The duo imbue
the tune with the same kind of mournful lyricism that they
brought to the preceding fado piece.
Liebman’s “Fuschia” features a prolonged solo piano
introduction from Machado during which he serenely explores
his various classical influences. Liebman’s eventual
appearance on soprano relocates the music to modal jazz
territory.
Machado’s playful “Blue Spice” matches Thelonious Monk for
quirkiness and is full of cheerfully garrulous interplay between
saxophone and piano.
“Moment Calme”, also by Machado then ends the album on a
suitably elegiac note with Liebman sounding positively joyous
on soprano.
“Eternal Moments” is one of the best duet recordings I’ve
heard. The exposed nature of the format can sometimes lead
to the music becoming becalmed, and a lack of variation in
terms of tone and dynamics ensures that some “two handers”
are frankly pretty dull. It’s not the kind of trap that experienced
campaigners such as Machado and Liebman are likely to fall
into. The pair explore a wide variety of jazz styles and
beyond, always keeping things on the move. There’s always
something happening melodically, rhythmically or harmonically
to engage the listener’s attention. This music may be largely
laid back, pretty even, but it’s certainly not bland or
inconsequential. Liebman’s soprano always possesses a
certain bite, even in the quietest moments, and his playing is
incisive and intelligent throughout. Machado’s comprehensive
knowledge of various piano styles makes him the perfect
partner and this is very much a meeting of equals with the
pianist also displaying considerable skills as a composer.
He’s a very welcome new discovery and I’m now inclined to
investigate his impressively varied back catalogue.
Review of Dave Liebman / Jean-Marie Machado release
"Eternal Moments" from TheJazzMann.com
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