For those unaware, David Liebman is considered a renaissance man in contemporary music with a career stretching over fifty years.

He has played with masters including Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, McCoy Tyner and others; authored books and instructional DVDs which are acknowledged as classics in the jazz field; recorded as a leader in styles ranging from classical to rock to free jazz.

Furthermore, he has performed on over 500 recordings with 200+ as a leader/co-leader featuring several hundred original compositions.

Now the Central New York Jazz Orchestra, a Syracuse area non-profit big band, have joined up with NEA Jazzmaster David Liebman to perform and record together.

This comes 11 years after the orchestra accompanied the saxophonist/flautist’s world premiere solo performance of “If a White Horse from Jerusalem ...,” a four-movement work for soprano saxophone, wooden flute, and jazz orchestra. After the concert, Liebman had offered to record an album with the orchestra, and thus that is the album we are happily reviewing here today.

1. Ahava Raba
2. Allahu Allahu, Maqam Awj Ara
3. Ki Lo Noeh, Maqam Saba
4. Present Tense
5. Somewhere
6. Starmaker
7. Hip Hop Scuffle
8. Where or When

As noted, and with the running theme here being the link between the humanist populations on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, the recording opens on the startlingly-cinematic Ahava Raba and the sterner fare of the stoic Allahu Allahu, Maqam Awj Ara, and then we get the sprightly Ki Lo Noeh, Maqam Saba and the sweeping Present Tense.

A multi-movement work for soprano saxophone, wooden flute, and jazz orchestra, along next is the languishing beauty of Somewhere which is itself backed seamlessly by the ornately sculpted Starmaker, the recording rounding out on the rambunctiously funky Hip Hop Scuffle, closing on the bubbly finger snapper Where or When.

“If a White Horse from Jerusalem” was originally commissioned by the S.U. Humanities Center on their 2011 theme of “Conflict: Peace and War” and performed that year in the Carrier Theater, with additional support by the Jewish Federation of Central New York and Hillel.

Both the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York lent their support for the reprise production this past November.

Official Website