David Murray has been at the forefront of jazz for close to 50 years. Serving as a living link to the full range of jazz history, Murray’s various groups—from his Octet to the World Saxophone Quartet to his Big Band—have pushed the music forward while honoring all that has come before it. With the formation of his newest Quartet—one of the jazz world’s revelations of 2024—Murray has re-emerged as a leading voice of the current state of the art. For his Impulse! Records debut, Murray and his Quartet—pianist Marta Sanchez, bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Russell Carter—draw inspiration from music that pre-dates the human race—bird song. “Birdly Serenade” serves as a new installment of The Birdsong Project - six of the eight originals took shape at an artists’ retreat in the Adirondacks, amidst lakes, forests, and endless sky. At the start of the writing process were three poems by Francesca Cinelli. Each explores, via themes of flight and elemental nature, what it means to be human. Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, the spiritual home of Impulse!, “Birdly Serenade” features eight compositions written by Murray, including two songs sung by emerging vocal star Ekep Nkwelle.
