Other Groups

THE SAXOPHONE SUMMIT WITH JOE LOVANO, RAVI COLTRANE, PHIL MARKOWITZ, CECIL McBEE AND BILLY HART

Originally formed in the late 1990's with Michael Brecker, the group celebrates the spirit of the late John Coltrane period as well as original music that captures the feeling of the "loft" years in the 1970's. This was a period when many New York-based musicians cut their teeth in free wheeling  jam sessions with an emphasis on the then fresh, collective free jazz style. With Ravi Coltrane as the third saxophone voice and one of the most experienced rhythm sections in jazz, the muusic of the Summit is highly intense and revelatory. The group has two recordings on the Telarc label, "Gathering Of Spirits " and "Seraphic Light." 

 

For the history of this unique group Click here

QUEST WITH RICHIE BEIRACH, BILLY HART, RON McCLURE

This historic group from the ‘80s reunited in 2005 after a fifteen year hiatus. Four individual stylists whose credits cover the history of jazz in the past fifty years, Quest is known for its wide range of expression from intense burning jazz to lyrical ballads along with re-arrangements of standard tunes, always with a singular personality. Their latest recording is on the ENJA label "Circular Dreaming"-Quest Plays Miles '60s, a tribute to that seminal band.

We3 WITH STEVE SWALLOW AND ADAM NUSSBAUM

My first apprenticeship gig was with drummer Pete LaRocca, Chick Corea and Steve Swallow in 1969. Drummer Nussbaum was with the Dave Liebman Quintet featuring John Scofield in the late ‘70s. This trio of long time associates features straight ahead jazz at a very high level playing many of Steve Swallow’s classic and famous compositions. Their latest release is titled "Amazing" (Kind of Blue).

Playing on the edge of avant garde and free bop, Different But The Same with Ellery Eskelin and Lieb on tenor sax, Jim Black on drums and Tony Marino on bass recalls the great two tenor tradition(Dexter and Ammons, Al and Zoot) with a completely contemporary sound. The group has three CDs on the Hatology label: "Different But The Same," "Renewal" and "Non Sequiturs" featuring original compositions and standards like Albert Ayler's "Ghosts" and Tadd Dameron's "Gnid."
(Pictured from l to r:Jim Black(drums);Ellery Eskelin(tenor sax);Lieb;Tony Marino(bass)

DUOS: I have formed unique combinations with three of the most important pianists in contemporary jazz over the past decades. Each duet emphasizes a different aspect of my wide stylistic palette using original compositions and selected re-arranged standards from the jazz repertoire.

My relationship with Richie Beirach is the longest from the late 1960s evolving into my first group as a leader, “Lookout Farm” followed in the ‘80s by “Quest.” This duo emphasizes the deep harmonic relationship that we have developed over the years combining aspects of the 20th century modern classical language and jazz into what is considered by many a very classic and individual approach. Our latest CDs are "Unspoken" (Out There) and "New Life" (download only).

"Impressions" (Hatology) demonstrates the unique flavor of this duet featuring Marc’s total absorption of the Bill Evans/Herbie Hancock tradition bringing out a softer, more lyrical side of my playing.

As a member of my quintet in the ‘90s, Phil’s compositions comprised a major part of the band’s repertoire. In the duo context, his encyclopedic comprehension of the jazz and classical tradition combined with a feel for Latin and odd metered rhythms puts me in a completely unique and differing context from the combinations with Beirach and Copland. Our last recording is on the Zoho label, titled “Manhattan Dialogues.”

I have been playing with European musicians for decades and in some cases have forged strong musical alliances. Each unit brings out a different aspect of my playing. (See below for specifics.)

 

-WORLD VIEW TRIO with Jean Paul Celea, Wolfgang Reisinger-free bop

-DUTCH STANDARDS TRIO with Eric Ineke, Marius Beets-recorded on the Daybreak label (Challenge Records distibutor) playing the repertoire of Alec Wilder, Kurt Weill, the Beatles and blues from the Coltrane canon.

-ALL STAR INTERNATIONAL GROUP with Bobo Stenson, Daniel Humair, 
 Jean Paul Celea-contemporary

-ITALIAN TRIO with Roberto Tarenzi, Tony Arco, Paolo Benedettini-Coltrane and Miles Davis 1960's style

-DUBLIN PROJECT with Ronan Guilfoyle, Conor Guilfoyle, Mike Nielsen-polyrhythmic free

-DRUM DUOS with Wolfgang Reisinger, Indian Percussionist Ravi Magnifique-multi idiomatic

 

 

WORLD VIEW TRIO WITH JEAN PAUL CELEA(bs), WOLFGANG REISINGER(drms)

This trio harkens back to my first formalized music with the “Open Sky Trio” featuring my first jazz buddy, drummer Bob Moses from the early 1970s. The music with this group is quite free but with a strong jazz undercurrent at the same time. Bassit Celea has one of the biggest sounds I have ever encountered on the bass. We have two records released on the French Label Bleu titled “World View” and “Missing A Page” as well as on “Ghosts” on the Nightbird label, also from France.

DUTCH TRIO WITH ERIC INEKE(drums), MARIUS BEETS(bass)
 
Eric is one of the most swinging drummers around having worked with all the American ex-pats over the decades, often with Marius on the bass. With this trio, it is Sonny Rollins time, sticking to arrangements of special composers. We have two records out on the Daybreak label, “Lieb Plays Alec Wilder,” “Lieb Plays Kurt Weill,”  “Lieb Plays Coltrane Blues,” Lieb Plays the Beatles."

ALL STAR INTERNATIONAL GROUP WITH DANIEL HUMAIR(drums), BOBO STENSON(piano), JEAN PAUL CELEA(bass)
 
Along with Jean Paul and two icons of European jazz, Bobo and Daniel, this group probably best exemplifies the European spirit with a lot of freedom combined with lyrical, expressive compositions. This group plays mostly original music balancing the Scandinavian ECM approach with intense and often quite fast tempos.

ITALIAN TRIO WITH ROBERTO TARENZI(pno), TONY ARCO(drs), PAOLO BENEDETTINI(bs)

This Italian trio is the best straight ahead true “jazz” rhythm section I play with, doing standards and my more traditional originals. I have a great time with them playing in the language. We have two records on Universal (Verve in the US) “Negative Space” and “Dream of Nite.” On occasion, one of my favorite saxophonists, Maurizio Giammarco joins the quartet.

 

DUBLIN PROJECT WITH RONAN GUILFOYLE(bs), MIKE NIELSEN(gtr),CONOR GUILFOYLE(drms)

One of my longest relationships is with these fantastic Irish musicians who specialize in two extremes, free jazz and metric modulation. It is always a challenge to play with them putting instant composition and spontaneity high on the agenda. We did two records for their own label in Dublin, “Tomorrow’s Expectations” and “After Dark.”

I have always loved playing in duo with drummers, coming out of the Coltrane-Elvin model. Wolfgang is an artist who plays beyond the drums, employing a vast knowledge of all music and as well, a good understanding of electronics and the use of the computer to generate percussive sounds. We play a lot of textures offset by burning jazz in the tradition. Rave is from India and plays all kinds of hand drums as well as traps, specializing as you could imagine in odd meter music.