Under the baton of Justin DiCioccio and featuring soloist Dave Liebman with the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra, Jazzheads presents Porgy and Bess from the famous trio of orchestral triumphs of arranger Gil Evans and soloist Miles Davis. Although Gil’s arrangements were purely instrumental, in working from the vocal score he was aware of both the literary and musical relationships. It reflects on a grander scale Lester Young’s dictum that you should know the words of the standard ballads that are in your instrumental repertoire.
Liebman approached Porgy and Bess on its own terms. “In working from the score,” he says, “I was aware of the literal, and the shapes of the melodies.” In some instances he hews closer to the written melodies; at other times he interprets them more freely without losing essences and always with the feeling of his own personality.
Justin DiCioccio: Conductor
Dave Liebman: Saxohone Soloist
Remy Le Beouf: Alto saxophone
Sam Blais: Alto saxophone
Janelle Reichman: Tenor saxophone
Alex Lopez: Tenor saxophone
Jay Rattman: Baritone Saxophone
Marc Osterer: Trumpet
Jonathan Barnes: Trumpet
Justin Walker: Trumpet
Jimmie Kirkpatrick: Trumpet
Evan Geiger: French Horn
James Robertson: French Horn
Dan Peck, Tuba
Chris Dempsey: Trombone
Matt Musselman: Trombone
Luke Malewicz: Trombone
Max Seigel: Bass Trombone
Linda Oh: Bass
Will Clark: Drums
