- David Murray (saxophonist)
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David Murray 
David Murray at Cully Jazz festival 2011Background information Born February 19, 1955 Origin Oakland, California, U.S. Genres Free jazz
Avant-garde jazz
Post bopInstruments Bass clarinet
Tenor saxophoneYears active 1970s–present Associated acts World Saxophone Quartet David Murray (born February 19, 1955) is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.[1]
Contents
Biography
Murray was born in Oakland, California, USA. He was initially influenced by free jazz musicians such as Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp. He gradually evolved a more diverse style in his playing and compositions. Murray set himself apart from most tenor players of his generation by not taking John Coltrane as his model, choosing instead to incorporate elements of mainstream players Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster and Paul Gonsalves into his mature style.[2] Despite this, he recorded a tribute to Coltrane, Octet Plays Trane, in 1999. His 1996 tribute to the Grateful Dead, Dark Star, was also critically well received.[3]
Murray was a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet with Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill and Hamiet Bluiett.[4] He has recorded or performed with musicians such as Henry Threadgill, James Blood Ulmer, Olu Dara, Tani Tabbal, Butch Morris, Donal Fox, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Ed Blackwell, Johnny Dyani, and Steve McCall. David Murray's use of the circular breathing technique has enabled him to play astonishingly long phrases.[5]
He is currently living in Sines, Portugal, and participates every year in the FMM festival, a World's Music Festival.
Awards
- In 1980 David Murray was named Village Voice Musician of the Decade
- Murray was honoured with the Bird Award [6] in 1986.
- Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1989 [7]
- David Murray and his band earned a Grammy Award in 1989 in the Best Jazz Instrumental Group Performance category for Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane [8]
- 1991 honoured with the Danish Jazzpar Prize [9]
- Newsday named him Musician of the Year in 1993 [10]
Discography
Main article: David Murray discographyReferences
- ^ Staff Writer. "Best of the best, David Murray, presents workshop, concerts in Bozeman". Bozeman Daily Chronicle June 29, 2006. http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2006/03/16/features/music/02roberti.txt. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Robert Palmer (October 27, 1982). "The Pop Life; David Murray Comes Into His Own". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00EFD8123BF934A15753C1A964948260. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ John Metzger. "Dark Star: The Music of the Grateful Dead". The Music Box Online. http://www.musicbox-online.com/dm-dark.html. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Chris Kelsey, Allmusic. "World Saxophone Quartet". Answers.com. http://www.answers.com/topic/world-saxophone-quartet. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Staff Writer. "Jazz Profiles - David Murray". BBC Radio 3 Jazz Profiles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/profiles/david_murray.shtml. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ "Bird Awards winners 1985-2005". North Sea Jazz. Archived from the original on 2006-05-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20060519070940/http://www.northseajazz.com/nsj68.en.html. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Bettie Gabrielli. "JAZZ ARTISTS JON JANG & DAVID MURRAY IN CONCERT FEBRUARY 8 AT OBERLIN COLLEGE". Oberlin Online. http://www.oberlin.edu/newserv/01jan/jon_jang_performance.html. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Jon Pareles - The New York Times. "David Murray Creole Project". Europe Jazz Network. http://www.europejazz.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=202. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ "The Jazzpar Prize". The Jazzpar Prize Official Website. http://www.jazzpar.dk/start.html. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Staff Writer. "David Murray". Walker Art Center. http://www.walkerart.org/archive/D/A81355A1BDE3ABA46161.htm. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
External links
Categories:- 1955 births
- Living people
- People from Oakland, California
- African American musicians
- American jazz saxophonists
- American jazz clarinetists
- American jazz composers
- Free jazz clarinetists
- Free jazz saxophonists
- Post-bop clarinetists
- Post-bop saxophonists
- Pomona College alumni
- Grammy Award winners
- DIW Records artists
- Enja Records artists
- India Navigation artists
- Red Baron Records artists
- Avant-garde jazz clarinetists
- American jazz bass clarinetists
- Avant-garde jazz saxophonists
- World Saxophone Quartet members
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