David Webster

During the 1980’s tenor saxophonist and bass clarinet player David Murray made dozens of recordings for a variety of labels, but few match the strength and wealth of ideas displayed on this one. This is a thrilling and consistently well played album where Murray sticks to tenor saxophone in the company of James "Blood" Ulmer on guitar, Fred Hopkins on bass and Sunny Murray on drums. "Red Car" opens the album in a confident manner featuring Murray’s swaggering saxophone with hints of rhythm and blues leading a brawny and self assured manner. "Long Goodbye" by Butch Morris is a slow and haunting musical painting of loss with Murray accenting the sadness with wails of high pitched saxophone…

In the 1950s, tenor-saxophonist Ben Webster was at the peak of his powers. His musical personality really featured two separate emotions: harsh and tough on the faster pieces and surprisingly warm and tender on the ballads. Webster uses the latter voice throughout this two-LP set. On all but four of 20 selections, Ben is backed by a string section arranged by Ralph Burns (except for "Chelsea Bridge" which was arranged by Billy Strayhorn) and, although clarinetists Tony Scott and Jimmy Hamilton and pianists Teddy Wilson and Hank Jones are heard from, the focus is otherwise entirely on the great tenor. The final four numbers, which matches Webster with Wilson in a stringless quartet, also stick to ballads. Music that is both beautiful and creative.

Most Ben Webster albums on the market today seem to be reissues from his magnificent autumnal years, majestically lush or bearishly brusque. It's good to have a chronological sampling of Webster's work from the mid-'40s, in order to appreciate exactly how he developed into the Ben Webster of 1959 and 1969. After popping up on early big band swing records by Bennie Moten and Willie Bryant, Webster came into his own as the first really exceptional tenor saxophonist to be featured with Duke Ellington's Orchestra. What we have here is the post-Ellington Ben Webster. His tone has gotten bigger and wider, grittily sensuous and invariably warm like a pulse in the jugular…

A major early release by tenorist Murray, 3D Family appeared originally on Hat Hut records as a double LP before eventually being re-released on disc by hat ART. Murray performs here in a live context with one of his very strongest rhythm sections: the intensely musical South African bassist Johnny Dyani and veteran master drummer Andrew Cyrille. The program consists of all Murray compositions, weaving between burners, funky dances, and soulful ballads…

Legendary alto saxophonist Charles McPherson makes his Smoke Sessions debut with an inspired album, Reverence, dedicated to Barry Harris, captured in front of a live audience at Smoke Jazz Club and featuring his quintet of Terell Stafford, Jeb Patton, David Wong, and Billy Drummond.

David Benoit And Friends' features special guests Dave Koz, Marc Antoine, Rick Braun, Vincent Ingala, Lindsey Webster and others. All are Smooth Jazz stars in their own right, highlights include the gorgeous Dave Koz feature "Vernaaza","Make It Real" a sensuous ballad featuring Lindsey Webster, "Moon and Sand" featuring Marc Antoine, David's interpretation of the Portugal hit "Feel It Still" and much more.

David Murray - The Complete Remastered Recordings On Black Saint & Soul Note, Vol. 2 (2013) {7CD BoxSet CAM Jazz rec 1979-1993}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.39 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 910 Mb | Full Artwork | 5% repair rar
© 1979-93, 2013 CAM Jazz / Black Saint / Soul Note | BXS 1024
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Modern Creative / Saxophone / Bass Clarinet

Murray's first box set in this series was one of Black Saint/Soul Note's better reissues. And this second volume is it's equal, and in some instances possibly better. The seven albums here span the years 1979 to 1993, and show Murray in different playing styles, but always close to the top of his skills. If you've read this far you're probably familiar with Murray's music, so I'll be brief in my album notes.