Octet Plays Trane

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.

As an avid Coltrane lover, these are the best renditions I have heard, so far, of Coltrane's work. It is a must for anyone who enjoys Jazz, especially for those who enjoy John Coltrane's music. It reminded me, of what Jazz is all about and is refreshing to hear in this new era.

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.

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.

David Murray is a contemporary saxophonist whether small group solo/leader or larger ensemble arranger/composer. Tackling Coltrane may have been a formidable task but Murray clearly has a deep affection for his music. " I was looking for music that had a lot of energy for me to practice with", and " The writing,the playing had to have my signature". These liner note statements are carried into the recordings. Never an easy choice of a man of such importance to take on, Murray creates a thoughtful and original approach to some of Coltrane's classic numbers. 'Giant Steps' is an ensemble reworking of the harmonics that Coltrane produced. The beautiful 'Naima' reproduces the emotional intensity of Coltrane's version on 'Giant Steps' but with a wide vibrato echoing the memories of the versions of Murray's on 'Windward Passages', albeit a different thought process behind the deliveries. 'Lazy Bird' from 'Blue Train' is in the bebop tradition whilst the gentler 'India' is full of energy with the mix of bass clarinet and flute. 'A Love Supreme:acknowledgement' is less intense than the original and more accessible yet remaining true to the seminal Coltrane recording and a daunting undertaking, with powerful performances. Craig Harris tb) and James Spaulding (altosax, flute) need special mention.This is a terrific record that seems to have eluded new listeners. His Octet 'Black Saint' collection has just been re-released and this is a timely chance to catch up on his Coltrane tribute.

Ok, as I exspected, good music!