David Murray - Seriana Promethea - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Tenor saxophonist David Murray, the giant of modern jazz, fuses all the great things that black music has produced Gos- pel sounds, free jazz, Afro-Caribbean, blues, soul as well as the beautiful standards of classic jazz. Murray's colorful tone, unsurpassed intonation, sense of swing, melancholy tones, improvisational power and ingenuity make him one of the most important voices in music today. His new quartet, which mainly plays his own compositions, gives the three young musicians plenty of space. InchJazz legend David Murray is back with the next generation of geniusesInch, writes the Washington Post about the new quartet. And Derek Schilling writes in the liner notes to the fantastic album Francesca InchDavid Murray's compositional signature today lies in conjoning distinct styles whose encounter makes for the sound of surprise. The specific choice of these styles (and corresponding meters or textures) matters, for sure. More crucial still is the way Murray makes the transition from one to another seem natural, necessary even. If you can move with ease from funk to Latin rhythms, from waltz time to four-on-the-floor, from R&B to free and back again, it's because music knows no boundaries. When it's be- ing played right, it reaches beyond itself even as it affirms the continuity of tradition. The sound of surprise results when mu- sicians forge, in the moment, that unity-in-diversity. The real deal.Inch A masterpiece!

With the formation of David's Murray's newest Quartet - one of the jazz world's revelations of 2024 - he has re-emerged as a leading voice of the current state of the art. For their Impulse! Records debut, the band recorded at Van Gelder Studio and drew inspiration from music that pre-dates the human race - bird song. 'Birdly Serenade' serves as a new installment of The Birdsong Project - six of the originals took shape at an artists' retreat in the Adirondacks, amidst lakes, forests, and endless sky.

Though a legendary figure from his monumental contributions to the clarinet and soprano saxophone's role in jazz, it was the compositions of Sidney Bechet that inspired master saxophonist David Liebman and guitarist John Stowell to dig deep into his catalog to compile and explore this set of rarely heard gems. Each possessing singular voices themselves that have inspired generations of other performers, Liebman & Stowell have created a very personal and intimate duo project celebrating another giant's work, their conversations making for compelling listening. Inch... a conversation between masters of their craft... sensitive and sublime... a marvelous collection of melody, harmony and joie de vivre.Inch - Jazz Weekly