Playing soprano and tenor saxophones and a simple but piquant wood flute, with guitarist Pat Metheney, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart and creatively supportive producer Bob Karcy as estimable collaborators, Liebman draws upon, delves deep into and distills a music that resembles the essential liquid - a music roiling and placid, pellucid while in constant flux. But it's a mistake to approach this program with an ear to specific equivalencies or a tight-scripted narrative. That's not how it came to pass. Having sketched the suite and investigated Pat's guitar array, Liebman ushered the band through rehearsal, a live performance at Delaware Water Gap's Deer Head Inn and two days at the Red Rock studio near his home in the Poconos where he's recorded some 25-30 albums. Air - yes, it sustains us, however insubstantial it remains.
Earth is a fine thing to hold on to, though rather inert.
Fire is the fascinating, exhausting burn. In myth, since well before The Flood. All the way back to Day One, it's been water, water, everywhere. Water , by David Liebman and friends, is just so refreshing. Take the cup, have a sip, quench your thirst.