Santiago Leibson Trio - Little Pieces (2020)

Born in Argentina and now based in Brooklyn, pianist and composer Santiago Leibson is a mainstay on the vibrant New York jazz scene. He’s worked with a who’s who including Tony Malaby, Guillermo Klein, Michael Attias, Francisco Mela, Sean Conly and Gerald Cleaver. Also deeply involved in the contemporary classical community, Leibson made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2019 with a solo concert of original and classical compositions as part of the prestigious Sophia Rosoff Concert Series. “Little Pieces” is his fifth album as a bandleader and features Matt Pavolka on bass and Mark Ferber on drums. The album is structured like a novella with each of the six chapters describing a different character. But the characters never meet, each possessing a unique identity and flavor. Leibson and his trio manage to weave these individual stories together into a coherent yet multi-faceted whole that rewards repeated listening and exploration.