{"id":3750,"date":"2014-01-01T22:21:10","date_gmt":"2014-01-01T22:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jazzusa.com\/david-liebman-the-elements-water\/"},"modified":"2018-10-26T09:18:50","modified_gmt":"2018-10-26T16:18:50","slug":"david-liebman-the-elements-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/?p=3750","title":{"rendered":"David Liebman – The Elements: Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TheDavid Liebman<\/span>
\nThe Elements: Water<\/strong><\/span>
\n by J. Barrett<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s an old idea with new ambition. In 1973, Joe Henderson made an album called THE ELEMENTS. With a varied palette and impressive density, Henderson took 40 minutes to paint the sounds of earth, air, fire, and water. A quarter century later, Dave Liebman has the same idea, only his story is told in 4 CDs! This is the first in this long-term endeavor, showing water in all its faces (“Storm Surge”, “Reflecting Pool”, “Baptismal Font”), with detail Henderson didn’t have time to explore. And the sound is different: Liebman’s group is a quartet, with Pat Metheny bringing variety on his many guitars. The sound crashes, boils, and flies, but it also flows – and this is very fitting for what Liebman calls “The Giver of Life.” <\/span> <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The whole suite is based on the opening theme, stated by Metheny. It’s a simple ascending line, with gentle strums and a hint of dissonance – and the source of all which follows. Liebman now restates the theme, and Metheny joins Cecil McBee in some tangy comping. Billy Hart shines the cymbals; maybe it’s spray hitting the rocks. Liebman wails a bit at the end, which is a sign of the storm to come.<\/p>\n

McBee opens “White Caps” with some ominous sliding, which keeps getting faster. Metheny, on guitar-synth, keeps the riff going with a nasty tone. Liebman rushes in with a honking tenor, screaming it up as the dirty-toned synth gets louder and harder. At times Metheny becomes a second horn, shouting in unison with Liebman. The tone subsides, and we’re in a fusion vein for “Heaven’s Gift”, a feature for Metheny’s clean electric. Liebman is slightly raucous when he comes in; he’s celebrating the gift. A hint of the “Water Theme” comes in a great unison bit at the end.<\/p>\n

A pensive bass solo suddenly gets an edge; McBee runs up the stairs and looks around corners before the calm returns. This sets stage for the deep bliss of “Reflecting Pool”. Hart rings bells, Metheny strums a 48-string guitar (sounds like an autoharp) while Liebman plays wooden flute with a touch of Japan. Metheny then makes like a koto, and the echo makes ripples in the pool. Liebman’s soprano makes a different impression; it’s light and hopeful as guitar tinkles behind him.<\/p>\n

A good-natured Liebman starts “Storm Surge” alone. Hart gets soft and intense (a little of that Elvin Jones feeling), and the theme comes high and cheerful. Not the storm you expected; Metheny is subdued in what is Liebman’s show. Hart gets a long solo; when the cymbals arrive, there is thunderation!<\/p>\n

Metheny begins a gentle theme turning into “Baptismal Font”, and here Liebman gains muscle. Taking the tenor, going full-bore, Liebman shouts to the sky as Metheny rings pretty. “Ebb and Flow” is the loudest, with wailing and skronking, Metheny again on the synth. Most of the way it’s a two-horn section part, McBee putting vigorous strum on the bottom. The bass\/drums duet works better for me than the two stars – their part is too noisy. The “Water Theme” returns, helped by much echo – making it warmer. This is my favorite version: perhaps this should been the opener. There’s also an interview with Dave, talking about the creation of this piece. It’s a neat tidbit to have, but not essential to your enjoyment.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/strong> *** \u00bc. It meanders in points, but it’s an enjoyable mood piece. Metheny is at his best when gentle, as in “Reflecting Pool”; Liebman shines when he’s forceful, as in “Baptismal Font.” The scope is ambitious, and the tunes do a good job of showing the aspects of water. I’m looking forward to the others.<\/p>\n

Songs:<\/strong> Water: Giver of Life; White Caps; Heaven’s Gift; Bass Interlude; Reflecting Pool; Storm Surge; Guitar Interlude; Baptismal Font; Ebb and Flow; Water Theme (reprise); Dave Liebman’s Reflections on “Water”.<\/p>\n

Musicians:<\/strong> David Liebman (soprano and tenor saxes, wood flute); Pat Metheny (guitars); Cecil McBee (bass); Billy Hart (drums).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more info visit the David Liebman home page<\/a> at Arkadia Records.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

David Liebman The Elements: Water by J. Barrett It’s an<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3750"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11144,"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3750\/revisions\/11144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}