Dave Liebman - Drum Ode - ECM 1974

lazy · December-16th-2004, 03:10 PM

The album was recorded in 1974. Dave was busy most of the time as a Miles Davis sideman but he also led a group called "Lookout Farm". The band includes Richie Beirach most of the time (el. Piano) and on this album it's also with John Abercrombie (guitar), Gene Perla (bass) and eight percussionists.
The album is full of grooves and interplays between those drummers. This is a Miles influence. The trumpeter loved to use many percussionists that created nice polyrhythms.

Jeff Williams drums
Bob Moses drums
Patato Valdez congas, electric congas
Steve Satten percussion
Barry Altschul percussion
Badal Roy tablas
Collin Walcott tablas
Ray Armando bongos, percussion

Here are some pictures of some of these drums
Congas

Tablas

Bongos

And now for the tunes.

Loft Dance - has a Latin feel and based on a short melody written on four chords. Lieb solos on tenor here. Beirach is wonderful and inventive (as always). The end is a nice musical orgy where everybody improvises on the changes before repeating the theme.

Oasis – a nice diversity. A beautiful song by Eleana Steinberg and a moody Liebman soprano afterwards. He also overdubbes himself playing an obbligato melody on flute with Eleana.

The Call – begins with a talk between two drums and Dave enters their fight armed with a tenor sax. Simple melody that has more rhythmic than harmonic content. The problem is that I don't really like the echo effect Dave uses here. But the groove and improvisations are great.

Your Lady – has the most beautiful theme of all the tunes on the album. Dave is once again on soprano. The music has a relaxed feel but the percussions are moving it forward. That's the essence of swing (I think).

The deeper you go into the album the better it gets. "Iguana's ritual" and "Satya Dhwani" are very explorative and challenging.

In general I would say it's an example of intelligent fusion. Using electric instruments and untraditional rhythms but still not overusing the rock effects and making beautiful and challenging music. Highly recommended.

lazy · December-23rd-2004, 03:19 PM

Today listened to Dark Magus with Miles Davis and Lieb and understood where he took his inspiration from.

Ennis Snavely · December-23rd-2004, 10:51 PM

I've always liked this one, but it's been about 20 years since I've listened to it. Time to drag it out. Has this ever made it to CD?

lazy · December-24th-2004, 12:16 AM

Are you talking about "Drum Ode" or "Dark Magus"?

Ennis Snavely · December-24th-2004, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazy

Are you talking about "Drum Ode" or "Dark Magus"?

"Drum Ode".

lazy · December-24th-2004, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ennis Snavely

"Drum Ode".

Yes it was reissued.

Dr Dave · December-24th-2004, 10:15 AM

"Drum Ode" is one of my all-time favorites. I intend to recommend it to Gary Giddins during the upcoming chat, as proof that good sounds can come out of an electric piano. Beirach's first solo on "Loft Dance" is wonderfully fierce and rhythmic, yet never veers far from the underlying changes. Just beautiful work.

Somehow, these guys had the "hippie jazz" label applied to them way back when, and I don't think it did anything good for sales of this wonderful recording. It is absolutely worth seeking out!

PS: I still love Liebman's spoken introduction, intoned in his best Deep Brooklynese.

Ron Thorne · February-1st-2007, 04:53 PM

I first heard Drum Ode just before its official release when it arrived at KJZZ-FM and instantly loved everything about it. I still do, and have it on vinyl and CD.

The empathy between Liebman and those eight drummers is remarkable. I loved Beirach's contributions, too. I've long been a big Richie Beirach fan.

Above is the album cover I remember. I haven't a clue as to why they changed it to this boring two-tone gray cover.

Peterdubya · February-1st-2007, 05:11 PM

I saw this band at the Lighthouse in Hermosa beach.
It was a great show, I loved the record, and this thread reminds me to get the CD.

Dr Dave · February-2nd-2007, 08:57 AM

I found a CD version of the same band's first recording, "Lookout Farm" on a Polish website. I wish this one were a little easier to find.

Also by the same band (more or less) is "Sweet Hands," but that was issued on Horizon, so...

Dr Dave · February-2nd-2007, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

"Drums and drummuhs...for me, they've been a moving force, a reason to celebrate life through playing music. Thanks to the men who play the drums...this music is dedicated to you."

bluenoter · February-4th-2007, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

"Drums and drummuhs...for me, they've been a moving force, a reason to celebrate life through playing music. Thanks to the men who play the drums...this music is dedicated to you."

Is that a fictional re-creation, or did he actually exclude the women who play the drums?

Ron Thorne · February-4th-2007, 09:27 PM

What? There are chick drummers?

What'll they think of next?

Samuel · February-9th-2007, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

I found a CD version of the same band's first recording, "Lookout Farm" on a Polish website. I wish this one were a little easier to find.

Back in the day that record was often cited as support for the proposition that even the best bass-players could have a crummy day in the studio.

Surfer · February-9th-2007, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

Is that a fictional re-creation, or did he actually exclude the women who play the drums?

nude ant · March-30th-2007, 07:36 PM

I found a sealed vinyl copy of this last year...

When I got home and opened it up the actual record in the sleeve was Timeless by John Abercrombie... great record but I already owned it on CD... I still haven't heard Drum Ode, but I do have the cover.

RHFusillo · April-17th-2007, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samuel

Back in the day that record was often cited as support for the proposition that even the best bass-players could have a crummy day in the studio.

I love Lookout Farm, but Frank Tusa played horribly out of tune in places. At the time, he was not "one of the best" but he got a lot better in the next few years.

I will go to my grave saying that Lookout Farm was one of the best bands I ever saw live, and I've seen some good ones. They played a perfect (for me, for the time) combination of freebop and fusion. I was deligted when Mosaic issued a disc of live Lookout Farm recordings.

andybleaden · May-1st-2007, 07:25 AM

Got this and Lookout Farm and like them both particularly Drum Ode

Dr Dave · May-1st-2007, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

Is that a fictional re-creation, or did he actually exclude the women who play the drums?

Sorry, PC speech cannot be made retroactive. It was a long time ago, fa chrissakes. And no, there weren't any women drummers on the date.

RHFusillo · May-1st-2007, 02:40 PM

I couldn't have named many female percussionists in 1974, except maybe Sue Evans and Ruth Underwood.

BargeOn · May-2nd-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHFusillo

I couldn't have named many female percussionists in 1974, except maybe Sue Evans and Ruth Underwood.

Wow, I forgot about Ruth. Married to Ian, yes?

Marilyn Mazur. Though I don't know how widely recorded she was at the time or if any of her time with Miles band ever got recorded.

Does anyone have Small Labrynths?

RHFusillo · May-2nd-2007, 02:44 PM

Marilyn Mazur emerged about 10 years later. I believe she was on Miles' "Aura" and some live recordings. I saw Wayne Shorter's band with Marilyn and Terri Lyne Carrington -- 2 female drummers!

Dr Dave · May-2nd-2007, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHFusillo

Marilyn Mazur emerged about 10 years later. I believe she was on Miles' "Aura" and some live recordings. I saw Wayne Shorter's band with Marilyn and Terri Lyne Carrington -- 2 female drummers!

I heard Terri Lynne with Mulgrew Miller, when she was like 16 years old. She had Elvin Jones living in her bones. Great, great player.