David Murray Octets

[thedwork]

anyone heard these Black Saint/Soul Note David Murray Octets: Complete Remastered Recordings discs yet? Murray is hit or miss for me, but i saw him w/ his octet at Union College around the early 80s and i remember the concert blowing me away completely. if the recordings are anywhere near the music of the concert, this looks like a good set to have. and Bradford is on one of the recordings. anyone?

Edited September 22, 2011 by thedwork

[jazzbo]

Some info in this thread:

I really like this one. I think you will too.

[jazzbo]

Well, I looked through that thread and there really WASN'T much info therein. Anyway, the sound is excellent. I really like the music, and would guess that if you enjoyed the concert, you'd like these discs. They're all of a high quality level in my opinion.

[Chuck Nessa]

Lots of very fine sidemen. These are my favorite Murray sessions.

[felser]

Lots of very fine sidemen. These are my favorite Murray sessions.

Mine also, by a good margin.

[thedwork]

thanks a lot for the responses guys. looks like i'll be getting this. also interesting to see that my take on Murray (hit 'n miss, mostly miss, w/ my octet concert experience being by far my biggest 'hit') is not a minority one...

edit: my 2nd favorite Murray experience was a master class he gave at Harvard w/ Donal Fox. very interesting, and fun!

Edited September 23, 2011 by thedwork

[PHILLYQ]

Well worth getting, his octets are so well arranged that at times they sound like a big band.

[Guy Berger]

Well worth getting, his octets are so well arranged that at times they sound like a big band.

It's on a different label, but "Octet Plays Trane" is also really good, if more straightahead than the 80s albums.

[seeline]

thanks a lot for the responses guys. looks like i'll be getting this. also interesting to see that my take on Murray (hit 'n miss, mostly miss, w/ my octet concert experience being by far my biggest 'hit') is not a minority one...

edit: my 2nd favorite Murray experience was a master class he gave at Harvard w/ Donal Fox. very interesting, and fun!

I envy your getting to work with Donal Fox - having both these guys in the same workshop must have been great.

btw, I like Murray's Ballads for Bass Clarinet - though, like you, I feel that a lot of his work is a "miss." (Might be partly because he's made so many recordings.)

[Leeway]

I dunno, but I like Murray more in smaller groups, trio or quartets.

[colinmce]

I'd like to get the BS box set to investigate more. Only have Murray's Steps and I can't get into it. Something in the arrangements doesn't gel-- it just doesn't sound right to me. I agree with Leeway; I've really liked his small group work that I've heard (a few DIWs, the Hat Hut, Morning Song)

[JohnS]

I'd like to get the BS box set to investigate more. Only have Murray's Steps and I can't get into it. Something in the arrangements doesn't gel-- it just doesn't sound right to me. I agree with Leeway; I've really liked his small group work that I've heard (a few DIWs, the Hat Hut, Morning Song)

Murray's Steps is perhaps the most straight ahead of the BS octets. I like almost all of Murray's work, He's extremely consistent. I can't think of a poor one but could name quite a few I wouldn't want to be without. I'd start with Flowers For Albert (India Navigation).

One that eluded me is The Peace Church Concert. Love to hear that one.

[kh1958]

The version of the Octet that I saw for two nights at the Caravan of Dreams in the mid-1980s was rather exciting. It featured Julius Hemphill, Craig Harris, and Bakida Carroll. I recall being surprised that Julius Hemphill had only one leg. His playing was really terrific. Four sets of music by this group was not enough.

[AllenLowe]

he actually was missing only from the lower leg (maybe the ankle, it's been years since he showed me) down -

by the way, the pianist in that '80s Murray Octet, at least that I've seen on Youtube clips, was Curtis Clarke, who for some strange reason is now living here in Portland, Maine.

[Guy Berger]

I picked up this box for the three albums I didn't own (Home, Fast Life, Hope Scope), and recently listened to Home for the first time. A really great record - I'd put it above Ming and Murray's Steps, I think.

[king ubu]

Well worth getting, his octets are so well arranged that at times they sound like a big band.

It's on a different label, but "Octet Plays Trane" is also really good, if more straightahead than the 80s albums.

That one bothers me, I can't really express it, just mentioned it a week or so ago in the "what am I listening to right now" thread:

Totally not sure what to make of this one ... it's neither good nor bad in my book, I just don't really get into it ... I somehow find myself disagreeing with the drummer's time, add on that Murray's own absence of swing and it's just somehow weird.

Can't put it much better, I'm afraid ... I just don't fully connect with it, even though parts or it are wonderful.