Dark Star: The Music of the Grateful Dead

Dark Star: The Music of the Grateful Dead is an album by the David Murray Octet released on the Astor Place label. It was released in 1996 and contains Murray's versions of compositions by the Grateful Dead. The Octet plays on the first six tracks, and the last is a Murray solo, accompanied only by Bob Weir on acoustic guitar.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 stars stating "So overall this is a mixed bag, most highly recommended to listeners who have a high tolerance level and a strong sense of humor.".^[1]

Track listing

1. "Shakedown Street" (Garcia, Hunter) - 8:54
2. "Samson and Delilah" (Traditional) - 11:12
3. "Estimated Prophet" (Barlow, Weir) - 5:55
4. "Dark Star" (Garcia, Hunter, Kreutzmann, Lesh, McKernan, Weir) - 16:15
5. "China Doll" (Garcia, Hunter) - 5:17
6. "One More Saturday Night" (Weir) - 8:29
7. "Shoulda Had Been Me" (Cockburn, Nash, Weir) - 5:06

• Recorded on January 17–18, 1996 at Clinton Recording Studios, New York, NY

Personnel

• David Murray - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
• Hugh Ragin - trumpet
• James Zoller or Omar Kabir - trumpet
• Craig Harris - trombone
• James Spaulding - alto saxophone, flute
• Robert Irving III - piano, hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer
• Fred Hopkins - bass
• Renzell Meritt - drums
• Bob Weir - guitar (Track 7)

References