Saxophone Summit

The saxophonists Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker and the soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman are the all-time favourites of the hard, post or neo bop generation (cross out - if not applicable) who go right back to the 'heavy blowers': right-for-the-rap-jazz with a lot of blue note mixed in. Energetic saxophonists, let there be no doubt, they will blow you away with a musical firework. Having said that, their virtuosity does not compromise in the way of structural elements and nuances. Their style is a synthesis of the sound and the swing of Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter and the harmonic meditations of John Coltrane. In brief: it's the classical tenor school - a powerful resonant sound, whipped up timing - always on the edge. Their compositions and arrangements offer a lot of variation in tempo and timbre. Qualities such as solid overall sound of the ensemble, careful solo presentation and a just contagious joy of performance are all there. The compositions, the saxophones and the rhythm create a self-perpetuating inspirational trinity. In the rhythm section, the drummer Billy Hart has met with the biggest acclaim. His abilities have been described in terms of 'technical perfection', 'drive and sure feel for timing'. In spite of his flamboyant personality, Phil Markowitz, from Poland originally, plays jazz with a very sharp edge indeed. The bass player Cecil McBee, who performed in the deSingel with Yosuke Yamashita in 2000, loves the most natural bass sound possible, in terms of function and sound ideal.