 Photo by Andrea Canter
Tenor sax/bass clarinet master Dave
Murray has established himself at the top of his generation’s
talented pool of composer/performers. From his beginnings in the
free jazz movement to founding of the World Saxophone Quartet to
current projects reflecting a wide range of styles and formats,
Murray may be the most recorded improviser and one of the most
versatile musicians of the past (and current) decade. Murray returns
to Minneapolis with his volcanic quartet for two nights at the
Dakota, two sets each night, March 27-28; in New York at the Blue
Note April 4-9, the quartet will perform with Odeon Pope’s
Saxophone Choir.
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
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Thursday, 08 January 2009
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