Centre County PA Live Entertainment

Date(s): Saturday, January 22, 2011

Time: 8:00 P.M.

David Liebman is considered a renaissance man in contemporary music with a career stretching over forty years. He has played with many of the masters including Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, McCoy Tyner and others; authored books and instructional DVDs which are acknowledged as classics in the jazz field; recorded as a leader in styles ranging from classical to rock to free jazz; recipient of the NEA Masters of Jazz Award (2011); founded the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ); a multiple Grammy nominee; inducted into the International Association of Jazz Educator’s Hall of Fame; the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki, Finland) and the Order of Arts and Letters from the French government. He has consistently placed among the top finalists for Soprano Saxophone in the Downbeat Critics Poll since 1973 and has to his credit over 100 recordings as a leader/co-leader including several hundred original compositions.

In the early 1970s, Liebman secured the saxophone/flute position with the group of John Coltrane’s drummer, Elvin Jones. Within two years, Liebman reached the zenith of his apprenticeship period when Miles Davis hired him. These years, 1970-74, were filled with tours, recordings and the incredible experience gained by being on the band stand with two masters of jazz.

In 1977, Liebman did a world tour with pianist Chick Corea followed up the next year by the formation of the David Liebman Quintet with John Scofield, Kenny Kirkland and Terumasa Hino as featured sidemen. After several world tours and recordings by the quintet over three years, he reunited with Richie Beirach. They began performing and recording as a duo, as well as creating the group Quest in 1981. Beginning with bassist George Mraz and drummer Al Foster, the group solidified when Ron McClure and Billy Hart joined in 1984. Through 1991, Quest recorded seven CDs, toured extensively and did many workshops with students worldwide.

Liebman’s present group formed in 1991 includes guitarist Vic Juris, bassist Tony Marino and drummer Marko Marcinko. With these musicians he has pursued an eclectic direction in recording projects that has ranged from jazz standards to Puccini arias, original adaptations from the John Coltrane and Miles Davis repertoires, original compositions in styles ranging from world music to fusion, always maintaining a repertoire that balances the past, present and future.

As of the present, David Liebman has been featured on nearly 300 recordings, of which he has been the leader and/or co-leader on nearly 100. Well over 200 original compositions have been recorded. His artistic output has ranged from straight ahead classic jazz to chamber music; from fusion to avant garde.

Liebman is a member of the Saxophone Summit with Joe Lovano and Ravi Coltrane. They recently released their second recording on Telarc Records, Seraphic Light, which explores the music of the late John Coltrane and is dedicated to Michael Brecker. “Dave and Joe both inspire me greatly, and it’s a thrill to play with them,” says Ravi Coltrane. “I admire Dave’s commitment and passionate drive in bringing the late period of Coltrane’s music to people’s attention. His scholarly exploration of these compositions is so important.”

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Date(s): Saturday, January 29, 2011

Time: 8:00 P.M.

Billy Price, east coast blue-eyed soul man, has been entertaining audiences for the past three decades. In his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa., he is an institution. Price’s popularity isn’t hard to explain. As Geoffrey Himes of the Washington Post has written, “Unlike so many blues revivalists, Price is not an imitation of older, better singers–he’s the real thing.”

Price formed The Billy Price Band in 1990. In addition to performing popular songs from Price’s years with Buchanan and the Keystone Rhythm Band, the Billy Price Band features new interpretations of blues, R & B, and soul classics. Members of the Billy Price Band are Steve Delach (guitar), Paul Thompson (bass), Dave Dodd (drums), Jimmy Britton (keyboards), Joe Herndon (trumpet), Eric DeFade (tenor sax) and Rick Matt (baritone and tenor sax).

Billy Price first attracted national attention during his three-year association with guitarist Roy Buchanan. Price is the vocalist on two of Buchanan’s LPs, That’s What I’m Here For and Livestock. With Buchanan, Price toured the U.S. and Canada, playing such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Roxy and the Troubadour in Los Angeles, and the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Price assembled Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band in 1977. Before their breakup in 1990, the band recorded four critically acclaimed LPs and developed a reputation as one of the most exciting touring bands in the U.S.

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Date(s): Saturday, January 8, 2011

Time: 8:00 P.M.

Long time local blues purveyors. Powering the band’s down-home, old-school howlin’-growlin’ blues music will be Andy Tolins’ deep vocals, dobro, slide and guitar; venerable harp player, Pete “Jukester” Sheridan; the goin’-to-Memphis piano playin’-vocalist John ‘JT Blues’ Thompson; the inestimable Ronnie Wasco on bass; drummer Curt Krebs and guest vocalist Bill Besecker.

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