UCD Advocate

Issue date: 10/5/05 Section: Music

Media Credit: Dave Liebman

Jazz - to some people, the word is synonymous with innovation, wailing saxophones, a puzzle, a game to be learned and explored. Others shiver when they hear even the slightest mention of the music. For the campus performance of the David Liebman Big Band on Oct. 13, John Fishell, the faculty member who petitioned for the event's funding, hopes to find enough of the former. "When I was first exposed to Liebman," he explains, "it was one of those inspirational moments. I was inspired to practice harder and be my own person. I'm hoping that UCD students feel the same way."

The main concern of the faculty promoters is that students are apathetic to jazz and just not knowledgeable about David Liebman. Educating those outside of the College of Arts and Media on the importance of this performance isn't something that can be done with a poster or a handbill, but Fishell will be the first to tell you it's worthy of attendance. "Liebman is one of the living jazz legends," he says. That isn't just his personal opinion; Liebman has toured the world playing his soprano sax with Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chic Corea, John Scofield and Kenny Kirkland. However, if you aren't already a jazz enthusiast, these could just as well be names of soccer players. "[He's] an uber-musician," Fishell points out, "the very best at his instrument." As for Liebman himself, he says, "If one is open-minded, my music is accessible to those that may not know anything about jazz, as well as the experienced listener."

This band is unlike any other today, and differs greatly from those of the historical era when big bands served as dance bands. In contemporary times, their performances are more along the lines of concert jazz with artistic expression meant for listening, not Lindy Hop. All of the compositions are Liebman's own, arranged by people from around the world; each song has a unique and interesting sound. As for the rest of the band, Fishell says they are New York City's best players, "all accomplished on their own."

The extraordinary talent of the musicians is drawing attention from the outside community. "We're doing an involved recording of the concert," explains Fishell. KUVO, the local jazz station, will broadcast the performance live. Faculty and students, including John Fishell and David Liban, will record both audio and video of the concert. Several audio equipment manufacturers felt the event was worth thousands of dollars in donations, most notably Millennia Media, whose microphone preamplifiers will assist with keeping the music at a CD distribution quality, something Fishell is looking forward to. "I've worked with Liebman a number of times on recordings," he says, "and the last one we did with this very group was nominated for a Grammy award in 2004. I'm hoping this one does a little better."

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