Falling Stones

Falling Stones juxtaposes the neo-formalist elegance of the Marc van Roon Trio with the post-Coltrane American saxophonist David Liebman. As such, these ten tunes — all but one written by individual members of the band — express a wonderful swinging freshness that so much American jazz lacks. In van Roon's large harmonic conception, jazz is organic, born of the moment and playing to it. His evenhanded brightness owes to the lyrical and chromatic vision of Bill Evans, but he is idiosyncratic enough in his extrapolations of post-bop buoyancy to be ebullient as a leader and also to be a consummate rhythm section member. Liebman is on such firm footing here that he can engage van Roon in counterpoint, trade fours, or move off into flights of near whimsy (check out "C + D," "Picture of Dorian Gray," and "Newland" for examples). This is one of those gloriously sophisticated recordings that is made all too infrequently. The new Apple on the Moon label from the Netherlands has given listeners a beautiful reissue in both packaging and aural presentation. Falling Stones is more than worth seeking out; it is modern jazz at its best.