Photo by Andrea Canter

Currently living in Paris, Murray grew up in California’s Bay Area, attending schools in Berkely and surrounded by a musical family. His mother played piano, his father guitar, and young David and his family were involved in the music of their church. Introduced to the alto sax while in grade school,

Kelly Roberty, Photo by Andrea Canter

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, in small ensembles as well as big band formats, Murray accumulated an enormous discography as leader and sideman, recording with Arthur Blythe, Lester Bowie, Don Cherry, Olu Dara, Jerry Garcia, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, George Lewis, Sunny Murray, James Newton, Sam Rivers, Cecil Taylor, Henry Threadgill, Randy Weston, James ‘Blood’ Ulmer, John Hicks, and Andrew Cyrille, among many others. In addition to his virtuosity on tenor, he has earned the reputation as the most significant bass clarinet player since Eric Dolphy, and led the Clarinet Summit with John Carter, Jimmy Hamilton, and Alvin Batiste. Recent projects have included his Cuban and Latin Big Bands as well as his current Creole Project.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Since the 80s, Murray’s playing and composing have moved more toward mainstream expression, although never really predictable and always carrying the freer elements of his early years. Describing his integration of free elements with straight-ahead, Ken Cheetham (Pure Cardiff) notes, “He soars across octaves, plummets to juddering bass bawls, wheels to high-end squeals, then floats on notes of melodies you wouldn’t believe he could get to – but he is never lost… Always there is energy and tension.” Further describing Murray’s contemporary takes on the standard repertoire, Chris Kelsey (All Music Guide) notes, “Murray's readings of the old chestnuts are vastly different from interpretations by bebop saxophonists of his generation. Murray's sound is deep, dark, and furry with a wide vibrato—reminiscent of such swing-era tenorists as Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins. And his approach to chord changes is unique… [and] seldom adheres faithfully to the structure of a tune. He's adapted the expressive techniques of his former free jazz self… to his straight-ahead playing, with good results.” Those good results include a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1989 and the Danish Jazzpar Prize in 1991

Murray toured through 2005 with his Creole Project III, a melding of his edgy saxophone with the gwo-ka, the heavy tambourine-like drums of Guadeloupe, and the rhythmic vocalization in the Creole language, creating powerful and dramatic grooves. His latest release, recorded in 2002, Waltz Again (Justin Time, 2005), features his “4-Tet” and a ten-person string ensemble.

In Minneapolis, Murray's quartet will include pianist Lafayett Gilcrhist, bassist Kelly Roberty, and drummer Pheereon Aklaff. In New York (April 4-9), Murray will perform with the quartet that recorded Waltz Again, including Gilchrest, long-time bassist Jaribu Shahid, and drummer Hamid Drake, along with the Odeon Pope Saxophone Choir.

For information about the David Murray Quartet at the Dakota in Minneapolis, March 27-28, visit www.dakotacooks.com. Sets at 7 and 9 pm. For information about the David Murray Quartet with the Odeon Pope Saxophone Choir, appearing in New York at the Blue Note, April 4-9, visit www.bluenotejazz.com