David Liebman

Saxophonist and educator David Liebman is a forward-thinking artist whose advanced improvisational style has made him one of the most influential jazz musicians of his generation. Heavily inspired by John Coltrane, Liebman emerged in the 1970s playing with drummer Elvin Jones and recording on Miles Davis' landmark jazz-funk album On the Corner. His own early albums, like 1974's Lookout Farm on ECM, cemented his reputation as a leader in harmonically complex post-bop, modal jazz, and fusion. Liebman founded the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) in 1989, and is a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. He has continued to release a flurry of solo and collaborative projects, including 2017's Compassion: The Music of John Coltrane (with Joe Lovano), 2018's Fire (a quartet date featuring drummer Jack DeJohnette), and 2022's New Now (with percussionists Adam Rudolph and Tyshawn Sorey).