Ruminations and Reflections - The Musical Journey of Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach

The Jazz Book of Two Lifetimes
NEA Jazz Master saxophonist Dave Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach have enjoyed a fifty-year friendship on and off the bandstand. They’ve performed with Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard, and their own bands. Ruminations and Reflections takes readers on a rollicking journey through their musical lives. Along the way, they share their views on jazz education, prominent musicians, and musical preparation. Liebman and Beirach pay tribute to their musical mentors, tour their discography, and suggest essential recordings to study. The book’s conversational style will delight students, professionals, and music lovers alike.

"We really don’t have an exact name for musicians like Dave and Richie. Across decades of recordings and concerts, their aspirations obliterate the definitions of any single genre. This volume reveals the deep insight and wisdom required to resolve their shared quest for meaning in music. Both are master players who continue to strive for what goes beyond and what lies beneath. Reading their words and following their stories in this wonderful book affirms the feeling that they share on the bandstand as one of the great long-term partnerships in this music." – Pat Metheny

A masterclass in the art and skill of jazz
Ruminations and Reflections is more than just a jazz biography, it is a masterclass in how to improvise, jazz theory, how to listen to jazz, and the business of being a musician in today’s world. Never shy, these two friends share fascinating and revealing stories of growing into their musical selves, late night hangs with legendary musicians, and the jazz life.

Known for their virtuosity and playing free, Liebman and Beirach share their secrets for preparing for the ultimate exercise of musical improvisation. Both musicians use their deep devotion to classical music as a basis for improvisation, crossing genres and boundaries to create spontaneous and beautiful musical experiences.

As veteran educators, Dave and Richie share their wisdom and life lessons to keep the legacy of jazz improvisation and free jazz alive. Jazz musicians and students will find value in their masterful analysis of duo playing, comping, and musical leadership.

For fans of jazz masters and legends
Ruminations and Reflections showcases never before told anecdotes and opinions about musical legends including, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Chick Corea, Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, and Wynton Marsalis. Jazz fans will delight in the in-depth analysis of over twenty of this duo’s best recordings, providing insight and history to this important discography.

A journey through modern jazz history
Jazz aficionados will enjoy the personal accounts of their formative years in Brooklyn, developing a passion for music that has lasted a lifetime. A road trip through Brooklyn and Manhattan sets the scene for reminiscences about the New York City jazz scene today and in days gone by. Jazz clubs like Birdland and the Village Vanguard come to life with tales of the musicians who played there.

Ruminations and Reflections chronicles the intersection of jazz and rock and roll in the fertile early 1970’s New York loft scene. Beirach and Liebman were pioneers in the jazz fusion era and recount tours, jam sessions, and recordings with their bands Lookout Farm and Quest. They continue to marvel audiences in any musical setting.

Along their journey, Liebman and Beirach have created a legacy of excellence and dedication to fans, fellow musicians, and the music. This book is a celebration of musical lives well-lived and a gift to us all.

About Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman is a renaissance man in contemporary music with a career stretching over fifty years. He has played with masters including Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, and McCoy Tyner; authored books and instructional DVDs which are acknowledged as classics in the jazz education field; recorded as a leader in styles ranging from classical to rock to free jazz. Liebman is currently teaching at New York University and guest lecturing at Berklee College of Music. He has performed on over 500 recordings with 200+ as a leader/co-leader featuring several hundred original compositions. In 2011, Dave Liebman was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.
 
About Richie Beirach
Richie Beirach is a musician, composer, educator and author. In the mid-1960s, Richard Beirach entered the New York club scene, playing with, among others, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Konitz while at the same time occasionally working as a New York longshoreman.In 1973, he joined the group "Lookout Farm" led by saxophonist Dave Liebman. Lookout Farm became one of the most outstanding groups of the Fusion movement and the cooperation between Beirach and Liebman lasted well beyond the group, developing a lifelong musical partnership. Richie has been retired from his professorship teaching in Leipzig and since 2015 has been living in Hessheim, Germany.