The Tree is Liebman's first venture into solo soprano saxophone improvisation. Its instigation, you might say, began in 1980, when Liebman decided to give up his other saxophones and flutes to concentrate solely on soprano. Why? "It became obvious to me that once you get to a certain point you can't spread your energy among two or three instruments, with is what I washing," Liebman told me. "You just don't make progress on any of them. It's a physical thing. You'd like to have total rapport with your instrument - it has to feel like your left arm. So it seemed to me that the best thing I could do - to further my evolution as a musician - was to concentrate on one. I chose soprano. I felt I had more individuality on soprano from the beginning, it was less derivative of my influences. That stands to reason; I first learned how to play on the tenor, all my early influences were on the tenor - that's understandable and inescapable. After all, I really did love the Coltrane influence. But I felt the soprano did not have that linkage with my past. Also, in 1980, there weren't that many soprano players - ten years later there's quite a few more - so there seemed to be more room to leave my mark." - Art Lange
Tracks
01. Roots - Take I
02. Trunk - Take I
03. Limbs - Take I
04. Branches - Take I
05. Twigs - Take I
06. Leaves - Take I
07. Leaves - Take II
08. Twigs - Take II
09. Branches - Take II
10. Limbs - Take II
11. Trunk - Take II
12. Roots - Take II
DAVID LIEBMAN soprano saxophone
All music by David Liebman
Recorded April 24, 1990 at Barigozzi Studio, Milano
Soul Note - 121195-2