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.

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.

David Liebman, Marc Copland, Ralph Alessi, Drew Gress and Joey Baron are well known contemporary jazz masters–each a player, composer, and bandleader in his own right. Grounded in the jazz tradition, they are also committed to stretching the boundaries of the possible. These musicians have years of experience touring and recording together– Baron and Copland in Gary Peacock's trio; Gress and Baron in Copland's trio; NEA Master David Liebman and Copland in duo, quartets, and quintets; Drew Gress in Ralph Alessi's ECM groups; and Alessi in Copland's quartet. All the members contribute tunes to the band's repertoire.

Jazz is often at its best when musicians come to a live performance without preplanning a set, which is the case when David Liebman recorded this trio set at a Belgium club called De Singer in 2008. With the strong support of bassist Marius Beets and drummer Eric Ineke, Liebman tackles five blues either written or recorded by John Coltrane, starting with a breezy, playful version of Miles Davis' "All Blues" that swings like mad, with the soprano saxophonist making great use of space and taking the piece far beyond its usual horizon. Liebman's free-ranging exploration of Coltrane's infrequently recorded "Village Blues" is a welcome addition to his discography, as the leader shows a bit of the master's influence in his powerful, avant-gardish soprano solo…

Veteran saxophonist, flutist, and composer Dave Liebman leads this stellar Italian group in a live outing recorded in 2005. The band consists of the great Tony Arco on drums, bassist Paolo Benedettini, and pianist Roberto Tarenzi. The quartet roots its sound deeply in the modal investigations of Miles Davis and the inquisitive yet expressive improvisational explorations of Coltrane circa A Love Supreme. This isn't idle praise; it's simply what the music bears out. The interplay and listening between bandmembers - and in particular the rhythm section - are remarkable. Liebman, who has played many different kinds of jazz with more people than even he can count over these last 30-plus years, moves effortlessly from full-blown modal articulations on the soprano to deep bluesy tenor playing and back to the soprano to improvise on Turkish and Jewish folk melodies in his solos…

On David Liebman's trips to Europe, as with many of his gigs in the U.S., he chooses to play with so-called "pickup" bands. In Italy, one of his favorite and most skilled combos features drummer Tony Arco, bassist Paolo Benedettini, and pianist Roberto Tarenzi, a trio more than capable of knowing Liebman's tendencies, having played with him on numerous occasions overseas. As a result, they play Liebman's original music and standards favored by all four participants, done with no filler, some hefty solos, and a wonderful sense of the teamwork expected from a seasoned ensemble. These performances are culled from club dates in Florence, Bari, and Lamezia Terme, full of the fire and passion that Liebman's playing on tenor or soprano sax is known for…

Originally put out by Timeless, only to be issued in the U.S. on Impulse! eight years after the session, the phrase "if they only knew" at one time was conceived as a riposte to Liebman's critics. But you won't hear any querulous complaints from this corner, for this is a thoughtful, often burning quintet session carooming off the bumpers of post-bop, jazz-rock, and the avant-garde. Liebman is mostly heard on brittle, sometimes volatile tenor throughout the record, even turning in some fancy bop licks on "Autumn in New York." The relaxed, darting electric touch comes from John Scofield, whose asymmetrical guitar you can spot a country mile away, and he contributes the most attractive tune on the session, "Capistrano"…