Jason Liebman's 'Sacrifice' really is sweet

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."

Jason Liebman plays The Cup, 3268 Railroad Ave., Wantagh, 516-826-9533, 8 p.m. Friday.

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