David Liebman, Gunnar Mossblad Ensemble

The Seasons Reflected brings saxophonist David Liebman together with the Gunnar Mossblad Ensemble, four reed players and a percussionist, for eight new pieces on time and nature. The title points back to The Seasons, the trio album Liebman recorded with Cecil McBee and Billy Hart in December 1992, issued by Soul Note in 1994. The compositions were premiered at East Stroudsburg University on 21 November 2003 and recorded the next day at Bennett Studios in Englewood, New Jersey. Soul Note released the album in 2004.

The writing is split down the middle. Liebman's four pieces follow the hours of the day, Sunrise, Dawn, Dusk and Sunset. Mossblad's four follow the year, Fall Colors, Winter Light, Spring Flowers and Summer Play, and they alternate across the disc. Liebman plays soprano saxophone and wooden flute. Mossblad, on soprano and tenor and alto flute, is joined by Steve Wilson (alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute), Tom Christensen (soprano and tenor saxophones, clarinet, oboe, English horn) and Dave Riekenberg (soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones, flute, bass clarinet). Chris Hanning plays drum set, timpani, djembe, doumbek and auxiliary percussion. With every reed player doubling, the group has both a saxophone choir and a woodwind section to draw on. Winter Light, close to fifteen minutes, is the longest track, and Dawn the shortest at three and a half. Liebman and Mossblad produced the session and wrote the notes, John C. Fishell was the sound engineer, and Mossblad mixed and edited the tapes.

This is the original Soul Note CD 121345-2 from 2004, an enhanced CD with an eight-page booklet that includes Sandra Luethi's photographs of the seasons.