Ming (album)

Ming
Studio album by David Murray Octet
Released 1980
Recorded July 25 & 28 1980
Genre Jazz
Length 39:32
Label Black Saint
David Murray Octet chronology
Solo Live
(1980)		 Ming
(1980)		 Home
(1981)

Ming is the third album by David Murray to be released on the Italian Black Saint label and the first to feature his Octet. It was released in 1980 and features performances by Murray, Henry Threadgill, Olu Dara, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, George Lewis, Anthony Davis, Wilbur Morris and Steve McCall.[1]

Contents

Reception

The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested Core Collection.[2]

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 5 stars stating "His octet was always the perfect setting for tenor saxophonist David Murray, large enough to generate power but not as out of control as many of his big-band performances. Murray contributed all five originals (including "Ming" and "Dewey's Circle") and arrangements, and is in superior form on both tenor and bass clarinet. The "backup crew" is also quite notable: altoist Henry Threadgill, trumpeter Olu Dara, cornetist Butch Morris, trombonist George Lewis, pianist Anthony Davis, bassist Wilbur Morris, and drummer Steve McCall. These avant-garde performances (reissued on CD) are often rhythmic enough to reach a slightly larger audience than usual, and the individuality shown by each of these major players is quite impressive. Recommended.".[3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Penguin Guide to Jazz [2]
Allmusic [3]

Track listing

  1. "The Fast Life" - 8:54
  2. "The Hill" - 10:39
  3. "Ming" - 4:28
  4. "Jasvan" - 8:51
  5. "Dewey's Circle" - 6:36
All compositions by David Murray
  • Recorded at Right Track Recording Studios, NYC, July 25 & 28,1980

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Black Saint catlogue
  2. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008) [1992]. "David Murray". The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed. ed.). New York: Penguin. pp. 1059. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0. 
  3. ^ a b Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed July 4, 2011