Credits:

Dave Mcmurray

Description:

Saxophonist Dave McMurray's second Blue Note release is now available. For this album, McMurray reimagines the soulful sounds of Detroit with the flower-empowering songs of San Francisco's iconic Grateful Dead, resulting in an unexpectedly vibrant album. The first track released, "Loser," features Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir, along with Bettye Lavette, Weir's Wolf Bros bandmates Don Was, Jay Lane, Jeff Chimenti, and Greg Leisz, and a music video has also been released. In the heyday of the Grateful Dead's vigorous touring, McMurray himself was on the road, and since 1981 he has formed Was (Not Was) with Don Was, now the president of Blue Note.McMurray has B.B. King, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Halliday, Gladys Knight, Albert King, Nancy Wilson, KEM, Bootsy Collins, Herbie Hancock, Gerry Allen, Bob James, and many other legends. McMurray explains, "My adventure with the Grateful Dead began a few years ago when I was fortunate enough to perform at a Wolf Brothers show." I was immediately drawn to the music's long lengths, odd measures, and intricate chords." The song had a great melody and I noticed that it had the openness of Miles Davis' Electric Period. The music was catchy, psychedelic, raw, and Weather Report-like, with no one taking a solo and everyone taking a solo. The more I listened, the more I became convinced that these songs would eventually become my vehicle for jazz expression."For a spirited excursion into the Dead's vast repertoire, McMurray has reunited the rhythm section that graced his 2018 Blue Note debut, Music Is Life. This time, in addition to bassist Ibrahim Jones and drummer Jeff Canady, the group includes longtime brethren from the Motor City scene, guitarist Wayne Gerard and keyboardist Maurice O'Neill, and McMurray's colleagues from his "Was (Not Was)" days Pianist Louis Resto and percussionist Larry Fratangelo joined the band. Not only is this album a heartfelt tribute to the Grateful Dead's incredible songcraft, but the imagination and soul found throughout the album exemplify the wide range of McMurray's influences, including jazz, pop, rock, soul, reggae, R&B, and gospel.

Tracklisting:

1.Fire On The Mountain
2.Dark Star
3.Loser Feat. Bettye LaVette & Bob Weir and Wolf Bros
4.Estimated Prophet
5.Eyes Of The World
6.The Eleven
7.Touch Of Grey Feat. Herschel Boone
8.Touch Of Grey (Instrumental)
9.Franklin's Tower
10.The Music Never Stopped