Reviews for Negative Space

By Michael G. Nastos
From All Music Guide

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. A tribute to George and Ira Gershwin, "G.I.G.," does not refer to any specific show tune, but does quote bop and John Coltrane-type phrases in a short melody -- an easy swinger with Tarenzi's delightful, deft modal piano chords clearly ringing out. There's no derogatory inference to "Negative Space," but instead it's an aural depiction of an aura -- the surrounding space of a solid object, or a person. A circle-the-wagons semi-melody in a delicate bossa beat, it features Liebman's acclaimed soprano sax in spatial and engaged dialog, intensifying in his personalized, familiar, overblown manner. The standards "Poinciana" and "Afro Blue" have been done to death, but the quartet adds to both of them, the former with the contemporary swaying beat that eventually informed hip-hop, well in command and displaying Liebman's prettiest tenor sound, while the latter is a true jam on the famous Mongo Santamaria number popularized by Coltrane, a staple in Liebman's repertoire for decades, done straightforwardly and faithfully on soprano sax with a ton of compassion, aptitude, and a huge bass solo from Benedettini. Arco is an impressive drummer, with all the chops, mastery of rhythm changes, and inventiveness at hand, while Tarenzi is as impressive a European jazz pianist as you might find if you listen closely to his clever voicings and truly original comping behind Liebman. Of course, his own solo excursions as an improviser, especially during "Get Me Back to the Apple," are nothing short of marvelous. More from this quartet, or a recording with just the trio, would be welcome. Frankly, this is a surprisingly progressive offering from the usually conservative Verve Records, hopefully not the only state-of-the-art jazz date they issue in the future. Furthermore, this would be a great group to hear stateside.

From The Guardian
By John Fordham

Friday August 1 2008

Contemporary sax players go misty-eyed at the mention of Dave Liebman. But his music is not for all tastes: Liebman takes no prisoners on departures from the regular dictates of time and harmony, as is pretty apparent here from the atonal tumult he and his partners unleash on the famous John Coltrane vehicle Afro Blue. The former Miles Davis sideman is a saxophone sensation, whose masterclasses attract people from all idioms of jazz, and this live set will be compelling listening for anyone with an open mind about the border territories between harmony-based improv and the possibilities that lie in twisting its structures, or moving outside them altogether. The set has a burning energy, whether you appreciate the technical adventures or not. Two tracks are Liebman's own, hinting at standard songs, but dominated by his bop agility, soprano-sax squeals fired into empty space (recalling Miles Davis's later trumpet methods), and abstract avalanches a la Evan Parker. It's astonishing modern sax virtuosity operating at the outer limits.

By Steve Greenlee

ESSENTIAL "Get Me Back to the Apple"

Saxophonist David Liebman has flown under the radar for too long. He is known mostly for his brief tenure (1973-74) with Miles Davis. But he has recorded dozens of albums under his own name since that time. I can't pretend to have heard a fraction of Liebman's output, but I can tell you that his new album, "Negative Space," ranks among the most exciting jazz albums of 2008. And, bucking conventional wisdom, it's on a major label. Verve hasn’t exactly been on the cutting edge of jazz over the past several years, but kudos to the label for putting this one out, because it's not going to sell. There's no big name here and no gimmick, just Liebman and a rhythm section from Italy ” pianist Roberto Tarenzi, bassist Paolo Benedettini, and drummer Tony Arco playing music that makes you scoot up to the edge of your seat. They engage in the kind of wild, free-flowing improvisation that recalls (heresy alert) John Coltrane's quartet. These guys trust one another, and they allow one another to expand well beyond melody and harmony. With Liebman leading the way on tenor and soprano, the quartet ruminates over three of his originals before going to town on a pair of well worn numbers, "Poinciana" and "Afro Blue," forging indelible stamps of individuality upon them.

From All About Jazz
By John Kelman

Sometimes there's simply too much good material for a single disc, and then a decision has to be made: release a double-disc set, or two single-discs, spread apart and each with its own complexion? In the case of saxophonist David Liebman's European group with Italians Roberto Tarenzi (piano), Paolo Bendettini (bass) and Tony Arco (drums), choosing the latter not only helps bring more attention over a lenghtier period of time but, despite being culled from the same three dates in late 2005, also focuses on slightly different aspects of the group.

Dream of Nite (Verve, 2007) was largely about original compositions from the group members (with one cover), also weighing in heavily on Liebman's soprano playing. Negative Space is a more equitable mix of Liebman's soprano and tenor, also placing greater emphasis on his writing, with the saxophonist contributing three of its five tunes and a contemporary re-harmonization of the Bernier/Simon classic, "Poinciana." The set-closer, a barnstorming group take of Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue"—originally popularized by John Coltrane— demonstrates how indebted Liebman is to the late saxophone icon, while also making clear how he's evolved that debt into something far more personal.

Unsurprisingly, like Dream of Nite, Negative Space sits comfortably in the mainstream, but proves that the tradition has by no means reached a position of complacency. Liebman's "G.I.G." refers to the late, great songwriting team, George and Ira Gershwin, and swings along at an amiable pace, leaving plenty of space for Tarenzi to build an impressive and lengthy solo of motivic invention before Liebman takes over on tenor, combining his own attention to thematic development with the visceral expressionism that's become an ever-present signature. This is timeless music that would have fit comfortably at the 1978 Village Vanguard date which resulted in Liebman's Mosaic Select 32: Pendulum Live at the Village Vanguard (Mosaic, 2008), and yet in the group's expanded harmonies, notably Tarenzi's accompaniment on Liebman's paradoxically ethereal yet grounded title track, there's an unmistakably modern air to the entire set.

Despite there being more soprano saxophonists on the scene today, few have evolved as instantly recognizable a voice as Liebman. In the company of Tarenzi, Benedittini and Arco—who've clearly spent considerable time working together as a trio—Liebman has the same kind of freedom to explore, within some defined parameters, as he has with American groups including the recently reformed Quest, heard on Redemption - Quest Live in Europe (Hatology, 2007). His exciting duet with Arco, following the drummer's well-constructed building-from- nothing solo at the beginning of Liebman's burning "Get Me Back to the Apple," is a perfect confluence of bebop sensibility and stream-of-consciousness free play.

Negative Space is a strong dovetail to Dream of Nite, possessing all the strengths that made the quartet's first release so compelling while adding a few new ones to the mix.

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