Martial Solal and David Liebman: Masters in Bordeaux

How many more covers of “Night and Day”, “Lover Man”, and “Solar” does the world really need? That was a question I asked myself before listening to Martial Solal and Dave Liebman’s Masters in Bordeaux. After listening to it many times, my answer ranges from “More, please,” to “Another certain couldn’t hurt.”

French pianist Martial Solal is the kind of musician that other piano legends turn to when they need a piano legend of their own to revere. American saxophonist Dave Liebman is the young pup of this duo at age 70. Masters in Bordeaux is a live album pulled from two different performances, though you would never have guessed just by listening alone. From song to song, phrase to phrase, the album has an easy flow. Solal’s command of the piano and Liebman’s effortless circular breathing will quickly persuade you to think “Sure, we could all use another rendition of ‘Night and Day’.”

To top it off, this is the first collaboration between these two giants. Hurrah for professional musicianship.