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Stuart Nicholson, Jazzwise
Recorded live in the Nashville venue 3rd & Lindsley, the legacy of Miles Davis still provides musicians old enough to know better with the kind of inspiration that lifts this recording from ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good’. Liebman was, of course, on the original Davis recording of On the Corner, but this record’s mandate is much broader, ranging from Davis’ first genuine ‘jazz-rock’ album In a Silent Way from 1969 through to ‘Jean Pierre’ from the 1982 album We Want Miles. In between the nine compositions associated with Davis are three short interludes featuring bass, guitar and drums. The double sax frontline works well; both are accomplished and experienced soloists, so avoiding the trap in live performance of a solo’s length exceeding the inspiration needed to sustain it. The band is tight, working from arrangements (rather than leaving things to chance as Davis did) and with everyone conscious of the needs of the music, rather than searching for individual glory, there is a unity of purpose unusual for a band assembled for a one-off concert.