Jason Liebman

Title: Sweet Sacrifice
Release date: Mar 5, 2010
Record label: For The Artist Records
Single: The Stars Above
Official website: www.jasonLmusic.com

When Jason Liebman released his debut solo album The Driest of All Seasons in 2002, Billboard called the singer/songwriter/guitarist “an engaging artist capable of darting from acoustic-leaning troubadour to blues-jammer to flat-out rocker with considerable ease” (9/21/02), while Newsday hailed the album as “…a fine debut…a true labor of love,” citing that “’Fall Away’ and ‘That Summer’ shine with feeling beyond Liebman’s 20-something years” (1/10/03). LIEBMAN now builds on that praise with his self-released second full-length album SWEET SACRIFICE, out digitally in early March.

With his soulful vocals and evocative songs, LIEBMAN looks to Jeff Buckley, Sam Cooke, Alex Chilton and Rufus Wainwright as his musical inspiration. He has become a mainstay in the New York City music scene, with residencies at downtown clubs The Village Lantern and Slane, and will soon announce a tour of the Northeast.

LIEBMAN has created a 14-song musical color wheel with SWEET SACRIFICE, that kicks off with the guitar-heavy, driving up-tempo opener “Aggravated.” The set also includes tender lead single, “The Stars Above,” co-written with his 15 year-old guitar student Michael Bar-Lavi, the orchestrated strings and experimental guitars of “God Bless The Aliens,” and the drunken, New Orleans horns-heavy dirge that is “Government Blues.” The album is also complemented by LIEBMAN’s interpretations of two songs close to his heart: Lou Reed’s “Pale Blue Eyes” and Tom Waits’ “Hold On.”

“It’s about the work you put in, the relationships you develop and the reputation you cultivate and maintain,” says LIEBMAN. “You do the work, you do it right and you hope that it continues to create positive energy and bring good opportunities your way. I’m excited about where I’ve been and even more excited about where I’m headed.”

LIEBMAN’s background includes playing onstage with a number of nationally and internationally-touring artists including Rachael Yamagata, rocker/actor Val Emmich and NYC indie pop rock quintet The Orion Experience. His original music has appeared on television shows such as Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” and “Zoey 101,” as well as MTV’s “Next.” - MusicRemedy.com

Jason Liebman has been succeeding at the seemingly near impossible in recent times. He's been building a consistently larger audience without confining himself to one specific brand of music. Rather, he's proven to be an engaging artist capable of darting from acoustic-leaning troubadour to blues-jammer to flat-out rocker with considerable ease.

Liebman has just completed his fine first disc, The Driest Of All Seasons, a set that is earthy enough in its execution to attractive grassroots-oriented listeners, while also being smooth enough to possibly draw some much-deserved major label A&R attention.

More than anything, the project positions the videogenic young New Yorker as a multifaceted artist capable of being completely self-contained in the studio as a strong producer, arranger and musician. - Billboard

Jason Liebman wasn't planning on putting out another album as a solo artist. He just sort of fell into it.

The Woodmere native, whose 2002 debut, "The Driest of All Seasons," showed a lot of promise, has spent the past several years in other people's bands, including Rachael Yamagata and Val Emmich. "I was trying not to be so single-minded," Liebman says. "Playing with other people gives you a whole new perspective, a whole lot of food for thought."

About two years ago, though, Liebman and a bunch of friends started playing together for fun, mainly jamming on '80s classics. "We just wanted to see what it was like," he says. "Then, we started playing some originals, and it got to, 'Let's make a record.' It just kind of happened."

The result is "Sweet Sacrifice," which arrives in stores March 9. Though the album is a diverse collection, from the dark "Government Blues" to a sweet interpretation of Lou Reed's "Pale Blue Eyes," the standout is the title track, a gorgeous, soulful ballad that shows off Liebman's distinctive delivery and calls to mind Jeff Buckley.

"It wasn't a song before we rehearsed it," Liebman says. "I had the melody for the chorus but nothing else. One day, we just played through the tune while the engineer was doing some other things, and he said, 'Let's just record this.' I kind of made up the lyrics as we went along. . . . It turned into a Southern soul kind of tune."

Liebman says he plans on building on the laid-back feel of the album, by taking the band on the road. "I miss the road very much," he says. "There's just something about that nomadic existence." - New York Newsday - Glenn Gamboa (music critic)

Jason Liebman's second solo album "Sweet Sacrifice," has a tinge of rock and a little blues but it's certainly unique. Speaking to Liebman about the new album he stressed that "...it's singer songwriter music with a twist." The New York native who has been in the music scene for many years is finally making waves and has collected a strong fan base.

Liebman has the diversity to make him a star. One track, he's comparable to John Mayer and on the next he sounds a bit more radio friendly and is reminiscent of Daughtry. His ability to switch up, seemingly whenever he feels like, is an advantageous gift to have. Not only does Liebman have the voice to be on the Billboard charts but he has the ability to create good music that aims to be just that. There's no filler on "Sweet Sacrifice."

One track on the disc that stands out is "The Stars Above." The song was co-written by Liebman's 15-year-old guitar student Michael Bar-Lavi. "He's a talented kid," said Liebman. I look at a kid like that and say I couldn't have done that back then." Not only does the song add to the album but it may also set a give a young songwriter some new opportunities.

Although Liebman isn't a star just yet, this new album may well put him on the map and create more national attention for the up-and-coming musician. It's an album that fans of blues, contemporary rock, and the acoustic guitar would enjoy. The music industry is rapidly changing and Liebman acknowledged that by saying, "Whatever's happening right now, while it's hard to navigate, it needs to happen." While it becomes easier for amateur musicians to get their music heard by millions and the talent bar is quickly dropping in the mainstream music scene it's musicians like Liebman that deserve some attention. This disc may not sell millions of copies but more music like this needs to be made.
- Fanbolt.com - Tyler Scobie (music critic)

WRITTEN BY: JIM MARKUNAS (EDITOR-IN-CHIEF)

Jason Liebman is a musical renaissance man, versed in, and able to perform a whole slew of genres. Having a healthy respect for the classics, and interest in gear (something long dead in musicians), and a knack for writing catchy and well-crafted songs, Jason is an artist everyone should know about. I caught up with Jason via phone for a fun-filled, tell-all interview. We talked about Jason’s love of music and his infamous ‘bunny-boiler’ story (at the end of the interview).

Jim: So, I was reading the linear notes for “Sweet Sacrifice” and it said it took a year to make. Why did it take so long compared to your other albums?
Jason: I think because I had no agenda to speak of. The first album I made was in 2002, I didn’t make the album with a purpose. I went into the studio and recorded 3-4 songs. We were very rehearsed and enjoyed what we were doing, so we spent a few days making an album. The second was an EP, which was more of a live album. What’s on the current album, was just laying down tracks over a period of time; there was no clear picture of what the album would look like. We recorded 25 songs and decided to keep 14. It was more like ‘let’s have some fun in the studio.’ We recorded in 5 different studios and at the end, there was an album. I enjoyed the process.

Jim: What I like about the album is the fact it is so diverse. Tell us about your influences and what made you decide to mesh all those genres together.
Jason: Influence-wise, I have a lot of different influences and experiences. When I started playing guitar, my parents were not jazzed about the idea, and I played classical guitar for a few years. I wanted to play guitar after seeing the film “La Bamba,” I wanted to be Richie Valens. I wanted to play rockabilly and classic rock and roll. Over the years, I guess there were a lot of worlds that came together, like classical, or rock. Some days, I would listen to Jeff Buckley, it depends on what was going on. I guess I don’t distinguish between the different styles.
I never have an agenda about the kind of music I want to make. It just evolves. The people I play have diverse taste as well. We would sometimes wonder if we were giving people too much, but I think, ‘who cares?’ We didn’t worry much about it!

Jim: Are there any plans to get signed and get huge?
Jason: There is no plan! When I got out of college, I worked in the publicity department at Arista Records, that was a unique experience, and a dramatic education about what happens behind the scenes. Arista is more of an urban and pop label, and not really a place where you would find “Sweet Sacrifice,” but they are still a major label. I don’t know if any artist at Arista had a plan… it really is connecting with people through music. I don’t have a plan to get signed to a major label. If for some reason someone listening to “Sweet Sacrifice” came to me and said, ‘I can see a real commercial future for this album and a long term career,’ I would consider it, but right now, my immediate concern is to be an independent artist and connecting with fans. I was in Philadelphia for a couple of days do promotional shows, and it went well. I am touring.

Jim: You have to get on morning television.
Jason: That would be great. The folks at MSO are great at finding opportunities for me.

Jim: MSO is great and I find that they are easy to work with.
Jason: Yeah, they are cool and I have had a great experience with them.

Jim: It was really cool and quirky to hear you sing a Tom Waits’ song.
Jason: Especially the way I sing!

Jim: Yeah, since Tom’s voice is an acquired taste. When you did the song, it wasn’t like nails on a chalk board like whenever Tom sings a song.
Jason: In college, I was an English class, and we were discussing creative writing – one of the topics was about music from the 1950’s, the Beat Generation and in a record store there was a Beat Generation box set. It had recordings of Jack Kerouac, and funny enough there was a Tom Waits’ song “Diamonds On A Windshield,” and Tom was after the Beat Generation. I thought it was cool. I got his albums and I fell in love with his music. Again, this record was about recording things, and the musicians I was playing with are Tom’s fan as well, and knew the song. When we started playing it, I wasn’t trying to do the Tom Waits’ thing. Tom Waits’ is unique. I just sang it the way I would sing anything. So it was cool.

Jim: I noticed that you did a Lou Reed cover and there were a few covers on the album. Why was that?
Jason: I liked the way it came out. When we were recording, I played what I would play on stage, and there were a few covers in the set. Everyone was saying, ‘maybe you should choose one cover,’ since there are 14 songs, but I didn’t listen to them!

Jim: There are a lot songs on this album. Indie musicians would normally do 8-10 songs. On “Sweet Sacrifice,” you get your money’s worth.
Jason: Thank you, I app - Chicks With Guns Magazine

Dubbed by some as the "Human Jukebox," Jason Liebman, a musician raised on Long Island, New York, plays diverse songs ranging from acoustic guitar ballads, to rock and roll riffs. His second album, Sweet Sacrifice embodies his eclectic sound, ranging from pop or folk, to many other colorful genres. Liebman grew up in Lawrence, NY wanting to play the guitar, "I MUST play the guitar!" He said on his website.

Now, after years of learning to play songs and spending time to create his own, Liebman performs frequently, as anyone can see from his long list of tour dates. He also teaches guitar lessons. Both seem to inspire him; he co-wrote his title track, "Sweet Sacrifice," with his student, Michael Bar-Lavi. "It sounds like a cliche, but the more I travel and perform and the more musicians I work with, the more I understand that it's not about where a career starts or where it ends. It's not about any one gig or any two bands or someone's ten favorite road stories," says Liebman on his website. "It's about the journey."

Liebman plays many shows and events, covering classic and current songs in addition to his own music. Websites like Gig Masters tout his "savvy" onstage and his ability to please a crowd. And, according to Liebman: "It's about the work you put in, the relationships you develop and the reputation you cultivate and maintain. You do the work, you do it right and you hope that it continues to create positive energy and bring good opportunities your way. I'm excited about where I've been and even more excited about where I'm headed."

Set to release digitally in March 2010, you can catch his new album, a follow to his first, The Driest of All Seasons. And, if you can't wait, you can listen to his latest tracks from Sweet Sacrifice for free below. —Christa Fletcher
- Channel One Music