David Liebman - Porgy and Bess (2009)

Under the baton of Justin DiCioccio and featuring soloist Dave Liebman with the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra, Jazzheads presents Porgy and Bess from the famous trio of orchestral triumphs of arranger Gil Evans and soloist Miles Davis. Although Gil's arrangements were purely instrumental, in working from the vocal score he was aware of both the literary and musical relationships. It reflects on a grander scale Lester Young's dictum that you should know the words of the standard ballads that are in your instrumental repertoire.Liebman approached Porgy and Bess on its own terms. In working from the score,' he says, I was aware of the literal, and the shapes of the melodies.' In some instances he hews closer to the written melodies; at other times he interprets them more freely without losing essences and always with the feeling of his own personality.