The great saxophonist and educator Dave Liebman got his stripes and his marching orders – as did seemingly every significant figure in the modern jazz and fusion of the ‘70s and ‘80s – from a stint with Miles Davis. Liebman was already a cat-of-note, having played with Elvin Jones among other heavies; but that Miles imprimatur is the equivalent of a jazz all-access pass.
Liebman played on several Miles sessions, including one of the more controversial: the stationary funk record On the Corner. Curious then, that once on his own, Liebman became a central figure not so much in the funk and fusion direction of modern jazz, but in the subtle, deeply interactive Impressionism of the ECM school (not to be mistaken for its many dumbed-down derivatives). Like all top-tier jazz masters, Liebman has been all over the map of modern jazz, but it is his advanced, empathic and decades-long collaborations with the pianist Richie Beirach that may end up as his major contribution to the canon.
Liebman brings a new project, Expansions, to the Falcon in Marlboro on Friday, September 6. The five-piece band includes the young drummer Alex Ritz, a New Paltz native. The music starts at 7 p.m. and admission is by suggested donation. The Falcon is located at 1348 Route 9W in Marlboro. For more information, call (845) 236-7970 or visit www.liveatthefalcon.com.
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