Hailed by The New York Times as “a state-of-the-art musical thinker” and “a quietly dazzling saxophonist,” saxophonist Steve Lehman has built a career creating innovative, uncompromising music that packs a visceral
wallop. With ‘The People I Love’, Lehman revisits his jazz roots, presenting his take on the classic alto saxophone quartet tradition.
Longstanding musical partnerships and close friendships have always been at the centre of Lehman’s recordings. And the music on ‘The People I Love’ is no exception. 2019 marks the 10-year anniversary of Lehman’s trio with drummer Damion Reid (Robert Glasper Trio) and bassist Matt Brewer (SF Jazz, Gonzalo Rubalcaba), and their telepathic interplay and stop-on-a-dime maneuvers define the feeling of the album from start to finish. Lehman has added pianist Craig Taborn - whom the New York Times Magazine describes as “one of the best jazz pianists alive” and “an ethereal genius” - to this mix.
Much of the repertoire on The People I Love is designed to make a bold statement about the state of modern Jazz in 2019. New classics by Kurt Rosenwinkel (“A Shifting Design”) and Kenny Kirkland (“Chance”) from the
1980s and 1990s take the place of tried and true standards. And Lehman and his quartet apply a glitchy, modernist sheen to “The Impaler” by Jeff “Tain” Watts just as easily as they re-imagine “qPlay,” a piece of 2000-era electronica by Autechre. Lehman also revisits several works from his own repertoire.
