DAVID MURRAY QUARTET

Tenor saxophonist David Murray was born in 1955 in Oakland, California.  The giant of modern jazz fuses all the great things that black music has produced: Gospel 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.

Since he arrived in NY in 1975, David Murray established himself as one of the prominent saxophone players and leaders of jazz. He has released over 200 albums under his own name, working with the likes of Max Roach, Randy Weston, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Taj Mahal, Mal Waldron, Jerry Garcia, Cassandra Wilson, Jason Moran, Omara Portuando, Saul Williams, Vijay Iyer and Gregory Porter to name a few.  He was also a founding member of the groundbreaking World Saxophone Quartet.

Besides being a well-known bandleader, he is a noteworthy composer and arranger providing memorable melodies and harmonies.  His approach to improvisation is instantly recognizable.  Even in its freest flights, he acknowledges the gravity of a tradition he honors, combining all the influences he grew out of: gospel, jazz, free jazz, rhythm’n blues, R&B.  The great Cecil Taylor compared him to his greatest predecessors who had signature sounds:  “You stick your ear in the door, you know it’s David!’’

David Murray’s new quartet started off in January 2023.  Mainly playing Murray’s own compositions, the music gives the three young musicians plenty of space.  The combination of David Murray’s mastery – critics unanimously agree that he is at the top of his game right now – along with the infusion of this powerful elite of the New York jazz scene is a force to be reckoned with.  The fierceness of Marta Sanchez on the piano, the poetry and dexterity of Luke Stewart on the bass, and the driving pulse of Russel Carter on the drums is a perfect fit for the leading saxophonist.

“Jazz legend David Murray is back with the next generation of geniuses”, writes the Washington Post about the new quartet.  The first album of the quartet: “Francesca”, was released in May 2024.  It made it to many best jazz albums charts of the year: Downbeat, Jazzwise etc,. Their second album, “Birdly Serenade” was released in April 2025 and features singer Ekep Nkelle.

Sources: https://davidmurray.xyz/bio; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Murray_(saxophonist)