edited by
Edward Berger
David Cayer
Henry Martin
Dan Morgenstern
Lewis Porter
Institute of Jazz Studies
Rutgers - The State University
of New Jersey
and
The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Lanham, Md., & London
David Liebman, A Chromatic Approach to Jazz Harmony and Melody (Rottenberg N., Germany: Advance Music, 1991, 176 pp., $25.00)
David Liebman, The Improviser's Guide to Transcription (Stroudsburg, PA: Caris Music Services, 1991. 98 min. VHS videotape. $75.00)
David Liebman, The Complete Guide to Saxophone Sound Production (Stroudsburg, PA: Caris Music Services, 1989, 143 min. VHS video tape, $75.00)
Some 17 years before Paul Berliner's recent volume, Thinking in Jazz, Liebman published a unique study of improvisation and interaction in jazz performance. Lookout Farm: A Case Study of Improvisation for Small Jazz Group (Hollywood: Almo Publications, 1978) was coauthored by the five members of that band, who discuss their specific musical experiences on particular pieces. The book contained many musical examples and came with soundsheets of the recor dings discussed. This was an indication of Liebman's creative approach to jazz education. Four of his publications since then-two softcover books and two videos - are reviewed here.
Self-Portrait of a Jazz Artist, the perfect starting place to learn about Liebman, should appeal to a broad readership because it is really concerned with the artistic process of becoming a jazz musician. Only the fourth of its five chapters contains the usual career notes of an autobiography. The book is geared especially for the beginning jazz musician, discussing as it does many basic elements of jazz performance (and all terms are glossed in footnotes), but Liebman's thoughtful and highly personal approach makes his writing of relevance to all involved in this field.
The first chapter, "The Artistic Process," introduces Liebman's thoughts on the nature of art, and the next chapter presents, in detail, his ideas about learning to improvise, writing musical compositions, making recordings, performing, choosing musicians, and teaching jazz. An instance of the kind of fresh insight Liebman brings to these ostensibly basic topics is his observation that an improviser derives great benefit from writing compositions because writing is a slower decision-making process. "This retardation of what are usually split second musical choices concerning the elements of harmony, rhythm and melody, helps to refine the improviser's mind" (p. 17).
Chapter Three, "Ruminations of Jazz," collects Liebman's thoughts on jazz musicians as outsiders, and their relation to the audience and to the music business, including the role of critics and the pressure to play fusion. Liebman defines fusion as rock-oriented jazz. Although this is the usual definition, I would say that in practice fusion takes at least as much from such black pop artists as James Brown and Sly Stone and from Latin music's. Here again, Liebman makes a point rarely observed- that fusion contributed positively by demanding much higher production standards for jazz recordings in general.
The autobiographical fourth chapter not only tells his professional life story in detail, but goes into the various types of music that have influenced Liebman's approach today. The fifth and final chapter creates a marvelous balance with chapter 2, where Liebman discusses elements of jazz playing in general. Here he discusses each element with reference to his own tastes and practices - for example, what kinds of harmonies he likes to use, his own approach to writing musical compositions, how he leads his groups, and his experiences with audiences. The book concludes with a useful Liebman discography, a bibliography, and other appendices.
A Chromatic Approach to Jazz Harmony and Melody is Liebman's magnum opus to date. In the 1960s, primarily through Coltrane's work, the jazz language was vastly enriched by the possibilities of stepping out side of a given key or chord sequence for a moment. But, as Liebman points out, many younger players have been trying to approximate the same effect without really understanding it theoretically. They "were just hearing the surface of what they thought playing outside was" (p. 8). The first half of Liebman's book, a small part of which was formerly published in periodicals, explains methodically the musical information needed to enrich one's palette (as he says) with these new chromatic melodic concepts. The second half consists of examples from a broad repertory of jazz, and seven pages of classical compositions as well. Each example is analyzed so that the reader can understand how it applies principles explained in the first half of the book. So the book has a kind of flexible organization-one is not limited to studying it from the beginning to the end, but can flip around as one chooses and still benefit.
This book is intended for musicians with basic knowledge of theory and at least intermediate playing ability, but the explanations are quite clear and should present no problem given that background. The main requirement is to play through the examples. These concepts will only make sense when they are heard, so the reader is advised to study the book at an instrument (in some cases keyboard is required). Liebman demonstrates how to construct melodic lines that suggest keys and chords other than those played by the rhythm section (including the Coltrane approach), then proceeds to show numerous chord voicings for the piano, principles of good melodies, and some methodical uses of intervals, among other topics. (Ramon Ricker's small book on the use of fourths in jazz playing goes into further detail on the use of that particular interval.) The numerous music examples seem quite accurate-a must in this highly chromatic repertoire. The only error my spot check detected was the sixth note in Example 5, which should be a c-natural. This fascinating book will provide years of study.
In all of Liebman's writing and teaching he stresses the importance of transcribing, learning recorded jazz solos on one's instrument. He believes it is essential to capture the recorded improvisation exactly. Lennie Tristano used to require this of his students as well, whereas some educators feel it is sufficient that one only learn key phrases or the phrases one intends to use, and then practice those phrases in all keys. Of course one can do both. The argument for the Liebman-Tristano approach is that one not only learns good melodic ideas but also learns about constructing an entire solo, through the use of development, pacing, and phrasing. Liebman's video on transcription is the most complete guide available on this subject.
Much of the video is in lecture format, so the production approach is rather simple and straightforward. Liebman points out that imitation of masters is a traditional learning method in classical music as well. He stresses the importance of living with a piece of music, and singing it, before one transcribes it. Only his own rather difficult music is transcribed (perhaps for copyright reasons), but he also provides a useful listing of famous jazz soloists for the viewer to work on at home. Analysis of the transcription is briefly touched upon, and there is ample discussion of creative ways to practice with transcriptions. There could have been discussion of other matters, such as whether to transcribe at the instrument or strictly by ear, whether to use concert of transposed key, and whether to include chords and, if so, how to go about doing so. But there is enough here of value that one hesitates to carp about what is not here.
Finally, it is widely recognized that Liebman is a consummate saxophonist, and saxophonists will find the video about sound production to be equivalent to perhaps a semester of private lessons, with ample material to work on for several years. Liebman covers breathing and overtone exercises, including the clearest demonstrations available of the insights of the legendary master teacher Joe Allard. He discusses articulation, expression devices, and even the selection of reeds and mouth pieces.
All of Liebman's educational publications have one virtue in common: He does not hesitate to discuss matters that normally go unaddressed, that musicians have to pick up informally on the fly, and he discusses them frankly, clearly, and with vast experience. For that reason, fans, musicians and educators alike will find his work valuable and refreshing.