David Murray Trio - The Hill (Black Saint, 1986)

This post is by Dan

David Murray (ts, bcl); Richard Davis (b); Joe Chambers (d, vib)

Recorded November 29, 1986

My best single-word characterization of David Murray is "irrepressible." He plays with an exuberance rarely heard, even in the post-Coltrane era of tenor players. He is also extremely prolific, having led almost 100 albums and appearing in dozens of other groups since his debut recording in 1977. His octet recordings in particular demonstrate enormous power and energy. See our post for New Life (Black Saint, 1985).

From all his output, two series of albums stand out for me. In January 1988 Murray collaborated with pianist Dave Burrell in a quartet format to create five incredible albums that were released on the DIW label. I will be reviewing one of these later in the blog. The second group are the dozen or so recordings for Black Saint in the 1980s. 

The Hill comes near the end of the Black Saint run. By this time, Murray had realized that his early style would not gain him the acceptance he was seeking from the New York jazz community. So he adjusted. As he told Francis Davis: 

"If you listen to my records in chronological order, you'll notice me gradually laying off of the overblown notes. I still use energy techniques as a kind of capper to my solos. I try to use the top of my register to embellish what I've already done on the bottom. I try to put all my 'energy' into achieving pure, crystal-clear notes." (Davis, In the Moment, p. 46). 

Near the end of the decade, his records reflect a more sensitive, clearly articulated approach, which is displayed on The Hill and the aforementioned DIW recordings. 

The two side men on The Hill respond warmly to the new David Murray. Both Joe Chambers and Richard Davis are lyrical players on their respective instruments. Chambers turns "Chelsea Bridge" into a delightful bit of chamber (no pun intended) jazz with his vibes, Murray's bass clarinet, and Davis's bass. It's one of two compositions from the Ellington/Strayhorn book. 

Despite the strategic change in his music, Murray would still never be mistaken for Stan Getz, Clifford Jordan, or any of the other great tenor players of the 1980s. He's still David Murray, still possessed of extraordinary technique, and still churning out albums.