Reverberations from the Future and the Past: Just recently two brilliant minds of modern jazz celebrated a truly exceptional anniversary. David Liebman, the 1946 born saxophonist from New York and Richie Beirach, one year his junior and a leading exponent of the modern jazz-piano who, just as Liebman, came from New York and spent much of his life in Cologne, have literally met 50 years ago for the first time. Thus, the pair knows each other since 1969 and highly appreciates the work accomplished together. As it should be with two masters of their standing, they celebrated the special occasion with a small party and a major CD; on a double CD (released on JAZZLINE just as this recording) the two take on European classics of concert music, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Bela Bartok, and tell stories full of reverences – how do these musical traditions of past centuries interact with the contemporary language of jazz and which inputs can the methods of jazz offer to the compositional stringency of the classical repertoire? It is indeed a wide subject Beirach and Liebman are exploring.

NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman's latest is a thrilling free jazz outing featuring the boundless soprano saxophonist in the company of four modern musical masters: Peter Evans, Leo Genovese, John Hébert and Tyshawn Sorey.

Saxophonist Dave Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach present a 5CD box set: a true masterpiece. In duo, in individual performances on their instrument as well as in trio with world-class drummer Jack DeJohnette, the two protagonists captivate with fabulous improvisations. Empathy, as the album title suggests, is a harmonious balance of expansiveness and complexity, a series of sound worlds filled with clearly defined details, intimate moments of lightness and depth, surprises and sideshows, and plenty of space.

The all-star cast of Dave Liebman alongside Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Kenny Werner present the album 'Fire' recorded in 2016. Without any doubt, this is an absolute all-star cast: The exceptional saxophonist Dave Liebman, together with percussionist Jack DeJohnette, bassist Dave Holland, and pianist Kenny Werner. All four of them have been involved in shaping modern jazz during the '70s, '80s and continue doing so until today. Now the four friends have come together for a recording session at the Avatar Studios in New York. The result is a unique and innovative album with a lot of power and joy of playing. A late masterpiece!

NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman has always declared that if he had to name one primary influence and inspiration, it would be John Coltrane. The first time he saw Coltrane at Birdland in February 1962, he was 15 years old. As he recounts in his autobiography, What It Is (as told to yours truly), that was the night he saw the light, though he didn’t realize it for years. “Once you see the light,” he explains, “you can never turn away from it, though you may try. I went to see Coltrane from then on, anytime I could.”