Octet Plays Trane

David Murray | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 4, 2000)
• Original Release Date: April 4, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Justin Time Records
• ASIN: B00004RBZF
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,431 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #46 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Avant-Garde

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Jazz Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 4-APR-2000

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Album of the Year for 2000, April 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Octet Plays Trane (Audio CD)

In the liner notes to this amazing piece of work, Murray says that a musician should have developed a "signature sound" before taking on the task of reinterpreting the music of a giant like Coltrane. David Murray's sound and his concept have never roared out of a recording quite like they do here. "Octet Plays Trane" is, without doubt, a masterpiece. Murray's solo on "Naima" is an amazing thing -- there's a huge musical heart reigning itself in, straining against the beauty and simplicity of Trane's melody. The loose-jointed swing that propelled the early Octet recordings (Ming, Home, Murray's Steps, New Life) is very much in evidence again here, but now there's also an even greater depth and clarity to the ensemble playing that adds another layer to the group's sound. Murray, Craig Harris, James Spaulding, Rasul Siddik and D.D. Jackson -- the soloing on this recording is just remarkable. There is a fresh rethinking of Trane's music here -- music that will send you back to Trane's "Village Vanguard" records with a new perspective. If "India" doesn't get to you, you just may be a lost cause. Hyperbole aside, this is just about as good as it gets.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Disc of The Year, June 30, 2000

By 

A. Davis "astandavis" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Octet Plays Trane (Audio CD)

It will be a tall order to top this recording as Disc of The Year. Dave Holland's "Prime Directive" is close, but this CD is full of vibrant ensemble play that rises a notch above anything else out today. Murray puts his personal stamp on some of my favorite Coltrane tunes. His tenor on "Naima" is absolutely beautiful. I have not heard a more energized version of "India" since Jack Dejohnette recorded it with his Special Edition group back in the 80's. Who else could have delivered "A Love Supreme" in such a streched out fashion, that you would have to hear it twice to really appreciate the incredible arrangements. This is a great CD. I could not believe the beautiful humor that Murray offers up on his bass clarinet. Flashes of Eric Dolphy are wonderfully woven into his improvisations. After listening to CD from end to end, close your eyes and the smiling face of John Coltrane will pop into your mind. Great job Mr. Murray. You have left me wanting more. Enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Octet Plays Trane (Audio CD)

David Murray is without doubt one of the greatest saxophonists of his generation, and one of the best jazz musicians now playing. His recorded output is dizzying, to say the least, though recently it has also been a bit uneven. But "Octet Plays Train" is more than a return to form: it is one of the better recordings of his career, and one of the best jazz records of 2000.

The octet has always been one of Murray's most succesful groups, capable of playing with the sheer cacophonous, gutbucket energy of his big bands, but also with the kind of intimacy associated with his smaller units. It is one of the most fertile environments for Murray's experiments in solo and collective improvisations that can be as free as they are swinging. The early 80's octet recordings - "Home", "Murray's Steps", and especially the great "Ming" - are among Murray's best, and "Chasin the Train" comes close to their level.

Murray has acknowledged his interest in Coltrane's music in the past - note the title of the aforementioned "Murray's Steps", and his participation on the 1987 Coltrane tribute, "Blues for Coltrane", but that turns out to have been merely preparation for this compelling recording. The disc is really a meeting of the minds, with Murray offering fresh interpretations of such Coltrane classics as "Giant Steps", "Naima" and "A Love Supreme", as well as one tune of his own. Unlike others who cover Coltrane, Murray does not attempt to sound anything like him, nor do any of the other musicians sound like members of Coltrane's groups: they bring their own styles and sensibilities to the music, which makes the results that much stronger. Though the soloing can get wild and wooly - check out the collective improvising in the prologue to "A Love Supreme" -- there is less dissonance, and a fuller, more polished group sound than in some of the octet's early work. Perhaps this cd will be regarded as more accessible, and if that helps sales, then it's a fine thing, as this is an important recording that deserves to be heard.

(Note: For those looking for other recent interpretations of Coltrane's music, check out Conrad Herwig's excellent big band album: "The Latin Side of John Coltrane." And for something further out, look for Greg Bendian's bold recreation of "Interstellar Space".)