David Murray (Volume 2) Box)

This second set of albums by saxophonist David Murray on Black Saint is highly welcome. While the Octets, collected on the first volume, are considered by some to be the peak of his career, they have only ever been a tiny proportion of his total output (I count 7 albums, out of more than 150!) so it's great to have easy access to some of his other 1980s music once more. One of the problems with David Murray is that the majority of his discography is out of print, and thus expensive even when you can find discs - mainly because he recorded on smaller labels, but also because the sheer number of his records must make it difficult to decide what to reissue. With that mind, getting 7 albums for £20 is a real bargain! These cover the period 1979-1993 and feature Murray in quartet, trio (w/bass & drums) and duo (w/piano) settings. Individual albums vary but I'd say that on the whole this is more accessible music than on the Octets, and Murray himself gets more space (inevitably), making it perhaps a better place to start than the first set (even though the octets are, of course, essential). Each album is different and will appeal to different kinds of listeners. "Body & Soul" features the title-track, which all tenor saxophonists in jazz seem destined to record eventually - and while this is a great contribution to that tradition, the earlier version on "Morning Song" is if anything even better - more adventurous and lacking the rather lacklustre lyric. There's a bit of repetition of tunes across these discs, which I consider a good thing - it's nice to see how a musician, especially in jazz, re-treats the same material at different points in its career. My favourite of these albums at the moment is Morning Song - but they're all good, and it's such a welcome to have these easily available that it's impossible not to grant this the full five stars.

As good as volume 1