The "BQE"

Collection Contents

#		Title	Length
1		The BQE	9:23	Play
2		I Remember You	13:45	Play
3		Give It Time	4:57	Play
4		Sweet and Lovely	7:03	Play
5		Sparta	7:58	Play
6		Have You Met Miss Jones	9:36	Play

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Description

It's the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that brought us physically together. Mark & John came from Queens, Drori and I from Brooklyn. Mark and I had been playing duo sessions for a couple of years. The combined sound of the vibes with the piano and the emotional intensity in this duo playing led us to consider recording.

John and Drori form the most interactive rhythm section that I have ever played with. It was to be a real quartet CD, not just a rhythm section playing time behind us.

You'll be hearing free playing, some originals, and some standards. The stops, starts, and tempo changes were not pre-arranged. Hardly any writing went into this project. What we played is true group improvisation.

Hope you enjoy,
Charles Sibirsky REVIEWS

THE BQE

Charles Sibirsky/Mark Josefsberg Quartet (Zinnia Records)

By Nils Jacobson

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway receives its due credit on The BQE for bringing the two halves of this quartet together. It also appears in its own way through the music itself: ranging from dreamily slow to head-long fast, changing tempos and moods at a moments notice. Sibirsky asserts that most of this record was improvised, built around spare compositional frameworks. Indeed, the openness of the quartet to evolution and devolution is the records greatest quality. While the members of the rhythm section (DeCesare and Mondlak) play their swinging due, the real focus of The BQE is the interac tion between Sibirsky and Josefsberg--which relies upon an advanced level of understanding. Trade-offs between head and solos occur spontaneously. These two players seem to have a near-magical ability to predict each others moves and go with them, not knowing in advance exactly where they will lead. While one might expect more togetherness from a quartet arrangement, The BQE offers a tasty hint at the potential of Sibirsky and Josefsbergs playing outside this context.

Personnel: Charles Sibirsky, piano; Mark Josefsberg, vibes; John DeCesare, bass; Drori Mondlak, drums.



Charles Sibirsky/ Mark Josefsberg,
The "BQE"
Zinnia 113.
The "BQE" / I Remember You / Give It Time / Sweet and Lovely / Sparta /
Have You Met Miss Jones. 52:45.

Creative congruity is also a major factor in the "BQE." The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the source of the acronym of the disc's title and the means by which the players were able to convene for their session, is an appropriate metaphor for the kinetic energy capitalized on by the four musicians. Their music together mixes light, but effervescent swinging numbers with others that cut along a more explorative edge. All of the pieces are collectively improvised and rely only minimally on prearraged material. In addition, though Sibirsky and Josefsberg are the principal architects behind the musical scaffolding that the group scales, both men foster a feeling of collaborative equality with their partners, which in turn injects a palpable freshness into the proceedings.

On the title track, Sibirsky's angular clusters act as an obstacle course for Josefsberg's opaline strings of notes. On "I Remember You" Mondlak's skewed percussive patterns that weave an interesting rhythmic counterpoint to Josefsberg's lines, but sometimes drop off in unexpected directions. Throughout the program the thick meaty sound from De Cesare's walking strings proficient with both the long and short form. The variations in length between pieces makes for some enjoyable variety, but it's on the long pieces, which afford ample space for melody-based improvisasion, that the quartet really comes into its own. Sibirsky and Josefsberg share a charming attention to their craft, and their music should be referenced by anyone in the mood for thoughtfully rendered post-bop with a piquant twist.

Derek Taylor





The BQE

Reviewed by Jeff Morris
Rating:

The BQE is good-hearted fun and a fine test of mettle for co-leaders Charles Sibirsky and Mark Josefsberg. Pianist Sibirsky is about as lyrical an improviser as you can find. His solo introduction to "I Remember You," though occasionally a cat-and-mouse game with tempo, is subdued and graceful, and when the full quartet comes in, the tune becomes a lightly (you might even say pacifistically) swinging, impeccably-played jam. That's also the mood on a quicker "Have You Met Miss Jones?," the greatest delight of which is vibist Josefsberg's almost-too-hip entry after Sibirsky's solo.

It's almost a foregone conclusion that more sparks fly on the originals--Sibirsky's "Sparta" goes as far out as anything else on the date, with the leaders bounding around before tackling the sprightly theme, while the title cut starts in a mire of abstraction before bassist DeCesare takes it by the arm, points it in a direction and briskly walks it there.

What we have, then, is a date that defies criticism. Sibirsky and Josefsberg are risk-takers, but tasteful ones. They're engaging instrumentalists. The quartet is beyond reproach, the originals above-average.

Musicians: Mark Josefsberg (vibes), Charles Sibirsky (piano), John DeCesare (bass), Drori Mondlak (drums).

Songs: The BQE, I Remember You, Give it Time, Sweet and Lovely, Sparta, Have You Met Miss Jones?

BIO
One could say the time is especially right for the jazz world to fully embrace pianist Charles Sibirsky. With so many celebrated players performing and drawing from the music of Lennie Tristano, a 24 year period of study with legendary Tristano exponent Sal Mosca has given Charles both a comprehensive understanding of this material, as well as a solid point of departure. His most unique musical voice, nurtured in countless performances throughout New York City, demonstrates a heartfelt passion for the standard
repertoire infused with the forward thinking, fiery linear approach that marks the work of the Tristano-Mosca disciples.

You are cordially invited to browse Mr. Sibirsky's website at
http://charlessibirsky.com

Charles Sibirsky has freelanced as a Jazz pianist in the New York City area for over 30 years. There are many venues for jazz in the metropolitan area and he has played as a solo artist or in a combo setting at One Fifth Avenue, The Coach Inn, The Angry Squire, Caf Royale, The Waterfront, The Iron Horse Pub, The Brown derby, Griff's Seafood Plaza, Citylights, The Grand Prospect Hall, Cleopatra's Needle, La Belle Epoque and The Water's Edge, just to name a few. Ocassionally he accepts booking for parties. The music he creates at these celebrations sets a special mood at these affairs.

Playing at weddings was Charles' first foray into the world of "music for hire." He was just 17 when he embarked on his career as a professional musician. He played in trio and quartet settings in the Catskill Mountains of New York. He majored in music at Brooklyn College and and began his teaching career at Academy Music Studios in Brooklyn. That teaching position led to an introduction to the legendary pianist Sal Mosca. Sal accepted Charles as a student. For 24 years Charles made the weekly trek up to Mount Vernon to study with this wonderful jazz pianist, who remains one of the leading proponents of the Lennie Tristano School.

The concert setting has provided opportunity for Charles to share his music. He has given concerts at the Henry Street Settlement House, The Riverdale Country School (where he taught for six years), and at The Brooklyn Academy of Music. He has appeared several times at the Bethlehem Music Festival. His music has been performed at Merkin Hall in NYC.

Charles lives in Brooklyn where as the founder and director of Slope Music he continues to teach jazz. Many of Charles' students have gone on to establish music careers. It is a special joy for Charles' to go out to clubs to hear his own students perform..