Dave Liebman

«From Liebman’s saxophone springs a torrent of emotions: he manages to transform the most popular standard into something magical and unrepeatable. His sounds are delicate, linear, measured. His managing the alternation between notes and silences between affirmations and implications is wise and incomparable, as is his rhythmic sense capable of surprising you every time. Jazz in other words. If that seems little to you…».
Marco Giorgi, AudioReview

«It is not only Steve Lacy that illuminates the panorama of the soprano sax: Indeed, there is another great contemporary white jazz player, Dave Liebman, among those who have dedicated themselves exclusively to this instrument. His prodigious instrumental technique and his original expressive sensitivity have gradually grown and today it is difficult to draw up a ranking between the two. Liebman’s successful standard-focused series of recordings for Red Records continues with this record dedicated to Italian jazz. The quintet’s interpretations favor ardor and fire rather than subdued conversations and implications. The sensual and profound soprano of the leader is well supported by Danilo Perez’s piano playing which stands out in the excellent rhythm section». Besame mucho
Claudio Donà, Musica Jazz.

«Always inviting but difficult every time, in jazz, is the practice of the duo. Any doubt, however, is dispelled by listening. It is rare to see two jazz musicians getting along so well, understanding each other, expressing themselves. And the feeling must have been very solid since the two had rarely met and all the rehearsals for this very valuable, enchanting record were reduced to a couple of hours, the afternoon before, in Reggio Emilia, where the multi-instrumentalist was for a seminar. And above all, if these fifty-two minutes are the result of an evening session lasting no more than three hours! The two protagonists, having agreed on the idea of using standard material (although not all famous songs), also shared the design and construction commitment, which is as important here as improvisation. (…) And the work on the texts was not superficial. The harmonizations of the pieces were rewritten, breaking away from the usual ones; melodies were added; the structure of Get out of Town was shortened by two bars to give it more agility; complex rhythms were chosen (such as the 12/8 of an initial part of Caravan); expressionistic tensions were prepared (as in the monkian piece) and so on. But all without betrayal, that is, respecting the Ellingtonian atmosphere of Don’t You Know I Care, the vaguely dixieland panache of Sweet Georgia Brown, the subtle melancholy of Autumn Leaves. The themes may not be stated, they may emerge here and there, suddenly, but they retain all their importance. Of course, the solo art should not be underestimated. Liebman, who seems to have been concentrating on soprano sax for some time, has melodic glimpses of supreme beauty, while D’Andrea makes an imperious return to the music scene, comparable to the greatest exploits of his career. Indeed, alternating freedom and discipline, he may even have given us the most emblematic work of his maturity». Nine again
Gian Mario Maletto, Musica Jazz