Customer Reviews

Octet Plays Trane

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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.

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!

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".)

I am sorry to hear that the previous reviewer didn't much care for this cd. I, on the other hand, think this cd is excellent. Murray's new arrangements are creative, inventive, and they swing like mad! Also, this particular line-up of the octet has quickly become one of my favorites.

I know this will strike some as blasphemous but I think the Giant Steps on this cd is better than Coltrane's original version. While Giant Steps was a peak display of Coltrane's hard-bop virtuosity I never found it to be particularly moving. I would never place it in the Top 50 as far as Coltrane's emotionally expressive compositions/solo's are concerned. It was a display piece for his outrageous level of technical virtuosity, but it was little else. I was actually a bit disappointed that Murray chose this as one of the tunes for this cd... until I heard it, that is. This version kills! It swings like a monster and the orchestration and new arrangement are fantastic! The Murray Octet works magic on this tune, plain and simple.

As with Giant Steps, I was initially a little bummed that Naima was one of the tunes Murray chose for this cd... until I heard it, that is. I just wasn't sure if it was a tune that could be successfully re-worked. Well, as successfully as I thought other Coltrane tunes could be. While the Giant Steps on this cd really utilizes the whole band, Naima focuses mainly on David Murray himself. David is just a brilliant player and he emerses himself into the soul and emotional content of this tune as deeply as anyone possibly could. This is an absolutely stand-out track on this excellent cd.

If I continue on about each track on this cd I am afraid I may start to sound repetitive. Afterall, how many times should one review use the words "creative", "inventive", "deep", "expressive", "beautiful", etc...? A couple things I will say though are that I found the Love Supreme section to work well, unlike other reviewers. Yes, the bass-line is indeed the same bass-line as the opening of the original album. I don't find this to hint at a lack of creativity though. The bass-line is the most "signature" thing about that section of the original composition and it was maintained here as a focal point. Murray's playing kills on this section, and he also composed some new melodic elements for the rest of the band to play. A Love Supreme is one of the cornerstones of modern jazz composition and I found there to be many things to love about the version on this cd.

And yes, you very well may think that the India on this cd is an improvement on the Coltrane versions. Murray's addition of both Middle Eastern and Indian musical elements are gorgeous.

If this had been my project I very well may have chosen other Coltrane compositions to re-work... maybe Lonnie's Lament, Syeeda's Song Flute, and Africa. But after hearing this cd I realize why Murray chose what he chose, because they are the perfect vehicles for Murray and his band. I second-guessed Murray before hearing this cd but after hearing it I realize he was right the whole time. This Octet is great, the whole band has what it takes.

I started to really appreciate jazz during my fourth year of college. At that time, David Murray was one of first artists that I investigated. If I remeber correctly, the first David Murray album I purchased was Home, one of his early octet albums. Well, 13 years later I am proud to boast that my David Murray collection has grown to over twenty five titles. Next to Joe Lovano, David Murray is in my opinion the most original tenor saxophonist on the scene. Where many contemporary saxophonists have a difficult time shedding that Coltrane imitation disease, David Murray has developed a purely invididual voice on the tenor grounded in the styles of Rollins, Hawkins and Webster. David Murray has mastered the complete range of the tenor, and the sounds that flow from his horn are nothing short of hypnotic.

Of all of the different groups David Murray has played with, I believe his long lasting octet provides the ideal platform to showcase all of his talent. As stated earlier, his playing is unlike any other, but the octet allows him to demonstrate his significant arranging and composing skills. The octet generates a level of excitement that is simply exhilirating.

On this most recent octet recording, Murray is joined by Craig Harris on trombone, D.D. Jackson on piano, Ravi Best, trumpet, Rasul Siddik, Trumpet, James Spaulding alto and flute, Mark Johnson - drums and Jaribu Shahid bass. Even though the album is dedicated to the music of John Coltrane, the cd is unmistakably David Murray. The excitement is there on "Giant Steps" and "Lazy Bird". The arrangements add something to the Coltrane originals while at the same time respecting the original. "Naima" is a showcase for Murray on tenor, and it is a highlight. Murray is an excellent ballad player without ever getting too mushy. "India" is exotic. I do have one minor problem with the cd. In my mind "Love Supreme" is sacred. Its almost as if it should not be played ever again because nothing will ever come close to the original. Here, after Murray's solo, the rendition of Acknowledgement with its hinted back beat does not completely do it for me. Nevertheless, overall this is an excellent cd which is easily recommended. Oh by the way, pay attention to James Spaulding. Why does he not get more recognition? He is another true individual who has been consistently fabulous for over thirty years.

This is another winning effort from the extraordinary David Murray Octet. My initial exposure to Murray was through his onstage jams with the Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band. That piqued my curiosity and I played jazz PI. I have gone on to explore his trios, quartets, big bands, Fo Deuk Revue and this the great David Murray Octet. Octet Plays Trane is the new cd. They also have an album of Grateful Dead songs but this one is even better. David Murray does the memory of Coltrane proud. This is an outstanding collection of songs. It starts off with a lengthy take of Giant Steps. One small step for David Murray, one giant step for jazz fans everywhere. Naima follows and leads the way into The Crossing. Transcendence will seem possible. Murray beckons Tranes ghost without sacrificing his own voice. This is a magnanimous achievement. A spacy, dare I say, psychedelic reading of India then swings full bloom into Lazy Bird. Previously mentioned transcendence now seems probably. The grand finale is Part I of A Love Supreme: Acknowledgement. It is a superb version. I felt exalted and invigorated by the end of this disc. It would be great for this band to perform an entire A Love Supreme. But I guess that is a future project. For now we will have to take this offering with great thanks. It is a truly wondrous musical event.

This was my first exposure to veteran saxophonist, David Murray. What attracted me was the "plays Trane" part of the title and the samples heard on Amazon. Any saxophonist who creates a tribute to Coltrane (d. 1967) had better be up for the gig. This is no place for the timid or the inept. It is sacred ground, musically speaking. Kenny Garrett pulled off an excellent tribute recording with "Pursuance" a few years ago, with no little help from guitarist Pat Metheny. (See my review on Amazon.)

Murray employs a near big band, the octet, which adds textures and shadings not found in the original pieces. The result is a mixture of success and failure, with the successes outweighing the failures. The favorable liner notes by legendary jazz-writer and social critic, Nat Hentoff, help set an appreciative and expectant mood. Hentoff wrote liner notes for Coltrane over thirty years ago. Before dilating on this musical event, here is the octet:

Murray plays tenor and bass clarinet. Craig Harris is on trombone. D.D. Jackson provides piano. Ravi Best and Rasul Siddik blow trumpet. James Spaulding is heard on alto sax and flute. Mark Johnson plays drums. Jaribu Shadid (formerly with saxophonist James Carter) is on bass.

Coltrane's "Giant Steps" energetically opens the recording. The original was bebop at the apex of its potential. Coltrane's spirited solo is a standard for this form of music. Appropriately enough, Murray creatively arranges the piece around the solo (as Hentoff point out), with all band members contributing elements of the solo as part of an ensemble sound that never gets too busy. At 13:37 minutes, it remains interesting throughout. Murray's tenor style is quite different than Coltrane--less sharp, deeper, and more guttural (in the good, saxaphone sense of that term). He brings his own sound and conception to the work, and does so admirably. I'll be imprecise and say he's got "hip chops," as Roland Kirk used to put it.

The more gentle "Naima" follows at 7:29 minutes. This is a showcase for Murray's tenor, with less space given to other band members. He begins gently and melodically and expands into a feverish (but fitting) pitch, utilizing circular breathing at one point (if I'm not mistaken).

"The Crossing" (10:28) is a Murray original composition and would have been better placed at the end of the recording, since it is stylistically very different from any of the Coltrane pieces. I hear some pop and funk elements, especially in the horn section. (Murray's background is very ecclectic, I read.) The piece takes off with Murray's bass clarinet section and solo. The man can wail on this intsrument! It invokes memories of Eric Dolphy, but is no mere imitation. Murray's tone and attack seem cleaner and stronger than Dolphy's. (But don't worry, Eric is still in a category by himself--forever.)

"India" (8:44) changes moods dramatically. It is influenced by Indian music and plays off a kind of drone. Johnson plays bare hand percussion (although this is not listed in the credits. Spaulding's flute work stands out as he crafts exotic moods to fit the ambiance of the song.

"Lazy Bird" (13:01) returns to the bebop grove and features intricate ensemble work and soloing fro all lead instruments as well as bass. It keeps moving throughout.

The recording goes out with the modal "A Love Supreme: Part 1--Acknowledgement (15:20). I must register a mild complaint here. Another reviewer on Amazon argued that this piece should be left alone and not interpreted by other artists. I almost agree. It was a deeply personal statement by Coltrane--a jazz prayer, really. (Read the original poem in "A Love Supreme" to discern Coltrane's theology and spirituality.) The original "A Love Supreme" is objectively excellent, and for that reason, it inspires others to record it (or parts of it, anyway). However, I don't think the piece leaves too much room for new conceptions by other artists. Kenny Garrett did justice to the "Pursuance" section of it in his recording of the same name.

However, the opening section of Murray's version is close to cacophonous; all the instruments state individual ideas with little cohension. The piano's hard dissonance is particularly jarring and out of place. That simply doesn't harmonize with the Coltrane's original opening to the piece, which is meditative, not raucous. The end of Murray's arrangement adds a whole new melodic line not found in the original. I do like the sound of it, but it seems to stray too far from the source.

The strengths of this recording are Murray's solos and overall conception in interpreting Coltrane's work for an octet, instead of a smaller group. Bravo! The weakness, besides what I mentioned above, is found particularly in the trombone solos. Harris tends to run out of ideas before his solos end. He also overuses a chop (to the point of being cloying) where he plays in the high register at a lower volume. It really grates on me. Maybe it will grow on me, but I doubt it.

Another small complaint is that Johnson's time-keeping is sometimes less energetic and creative than the material demands. I suppose it is not fair to have the ghost of the incomparable Elvin Jones (who played drums on several of the original Coltane originals covered here) hovering over the recording, but "the engine" room was not always up to speed, I'm afraid.

Despite a few dissapointing features, I think most Coltrane fans and lovers of straight-ahead acoustic jazz will enjoy and possibly rejoice over this recording. Congratulations, Mr. Murray and Company.

Douglas Groothuis

How did I miss this one?

An absolutely astounding piece of work from any angle. With respect for Trane, David Murray and the musicians with him take this wonderful music wondrous places. Beautifully and naturally recorded, swinging and so much beautiful writing and playing. Very highly recommended. If it was only for Giant Steps, this would be worth purchasing, to hear how all the lines meld into a sound that reminds me a bit of Mingus's medium sized groups.

Although I know it sounds like a really overworked cliche, I can only say that the first time I played this recording, I was simply blown away by the energy level exhibited by Murray's Octet on the first cut, John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." Wow! To use another old cliche--this CD would be worth getting for that one cut alone.

But wait, folks, there's more, including a soulfully sentimental version of "Naima" and an energetic rendition of "India"--and more. Murray's Octet (Murray on tenor sax and bass clarinet, Craig Harris on trombone, D.D. Jackson on piano, Ravi Best and Rasul Sidduk on trumpet, James Spaulding on alto sax and flute, Mark Johnson on drums, and Jaribu Shahiro on bass) seem to be just the right size for this music, combining the collective power of a big band with the creative interplay and dazzling virtuosity of a tight quintet. The sound quality is punchy and clean, making this CD a must-have for Coltrane fans and audiophiles alike.

David Murray puts together an octet for his Coltrane tribute album. In jazz, eight players is enough to say whatever you what, providing you pick carefully. Murray has two trumpets, a trombone, another saxophone, piano, bass, and drums. So, it's nothing too unusual, though slightly brass-heavy. The opener, "Giant Steps", makes it clear Murray is saying "New Orleans party". The band puts the classic song through its paces, and 14 minutes doesn't seem like enough. "Naima" has the whole band, but it's essentially Murray playing his best tenor saxophone. So far, it's the best two non-Coltrane versions of those oft-played songs. "The Crossing" is a Murray original, though it's curious since it sounds nothing like a Coltrane song. It's a very good song, but its punchiness (the band hits some boom boom booms together) isn't a Coltrane hallmark. "India" is the only song that misses the mark. Murray makes a psychedelic version, which doesn't fit in with the rest of the album, and just isn't as good. David Liebman's Coltrane tribute CD has a good creative version of "India", though this CD is better overall than the Liebman one. "Lazy Bird" is cut from the same cloth as "Giant Steps" - it's another full band workout. The closer, "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1" is another curious one. It begins with a sort of call to prayer. Once the band gets going, it loses that mood for a happy dance mood. I feel like that loses some of the intent of the song, but if you can get past that, Murray and trombonist Craig Harris do some wild soloing. Trumpeter Ravi Best and Rasul Siddik play very well throughout (don't ask me who's soloing on any particular song), and alto saxophonist James Spaulding plays a small, but tasteful role.

This is a very good CD, the strengths overwhelm the weaknesses. Its weaknesses make it a 4-star CD, but just about any jazz fan should like this one.