David Murray and Kahil El’Zabar returned to the Bop on Monday night. We first saw them together twenty-five years ago at the old Bop Shop Atrium. The recording from that concert was released on Delmark. I shot this video of the two of them ten years ago in this same location. As Murray told the crowd, “I’ve been all around the world, and you people don’t know how good you have it here, in this place.” Peggi and I sat down front, just behind our brother-in-law (right).
After reading James Blood Ulmer’s obituary I had to play his “Are You Glad to Be in America” 45. I might have known this before, but while reading the credits on the sleeve I noticed that David Murray played tenor sax on it. He has recorded with Max Roach, Charles Mingus, Cecil Taylor, Jack DeJohnette, Chico Hamilton, Elvin Jones, Archie Shepp, and Pharoah Sanders. He is a co-founder of the World Saxophone Quartet. And it was a joy beyond words to hear him play in such an intimate setting. We don’t know how lucky we are.
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