DAVID MURRAY — Low Class Conspiracy (review)

DAVID MURRAY — Low Class Conspiracy album cover Album · 1976 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
California-born sax player David Murray came to New York as a musical student in 1975 - too late to evidence the free jazz revolution of the late 60s, but right on time to become a part of its second incarnation - loft jazz. He played with some sound names around the lofts and in 1976 released his first album as a leader - "Flowers For Albert". Heavily influenced by the music of Albert Ayler, these live tapes were made on June 26, 1976 at The Ladies’ Fort loft in New York, and featured David Murray on tenor, Olu Dara on trumpet, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Phillip Wilson on traps.

Three days later Murray came to a studio with the same band (minus Dara) to record his first studio album, "Low Class Conspiracy". The album's opening, "Extremininity", is an unaccompanied tenor sax seven-and-half minute improvisation. On the other four compositions, the band perfectly supports Murray's free and quite "out" playing. This Ayler-influenced and only roughly framed music attracts first of all, strong interplay between all the members and a characteristic relaxed freedom which will disappear on Murray's later and much better structured and tune-based music. Not all that memorable, but still, this studio debut is strong evidence of the short-lived free jazz renaissance in the loft jazz form's adventurous atmosphere (album's opener is even recorded in famous Sam Rivers Rivbea loft studio).

Together with other advanced jazz artists of his generation (Arthur Blythe, Hamiet Bluiet, Horace Tapscott or Woody Shaw among others) David Murray will evolve from his free jazz roots during the next several years towards a 80s progressive post-bop, becoming one of the leaders of probably the most interesting and enjoyable jazz movement of the upcoming decade.
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