David Murray, throughout his career, has constantly exemplified what Whitney Balliett once described as the essence of jazz - "the sound of surprise." His sound can be so huge that, as used to be with Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster, he doesn't need a microphone. And, while his harmonic textures and venturesome rhythmic designs are individually modern, and then some, he is also capable of deeply felt romanticism.
Jimmy Giuffre once said of John Coltrane: "I began to understand that his statements on his horn were as if he was standing naked on the stage - the music coming directly from the man, not the horn.Later I heard hundreds of other tenor players emulating him, copying him note for note. Sometimes I feel like saying, there is only one John Coltrane; you should listen and learn from him and otherwise let him be."
David Murray, having listened, with his customary thoroughness and intensity, to Coltrane, has paid him a tribute here that Coltrane would appreciate because Murray's music, as always, comes directly from himself, and Trane prized honesty and depth of individual feeling.
Alice Coltrane said of John: "He never stopped surprising himself." That can also be said of David Murray. - Nat Hentoff, from the liner notes
"Tenor saxophonist David Murray and his octet rise to the challenge of performing five classic John Coltrane compositions not by playing note-for-note recreations but by allowing Trane's searching spirit to dominate the proceedings. Murray shines on all tracks, switching between tenor and bass clarinet. The octet featuring pianist D.D. Jackson, trombonist Craig Harris, trumpeters Ravi Best and Rasul Siddik, alto saxophonist and flutist James Spaulding, bassist Jaribu Shahid, and drummer Mark Johnson sound like twice the number of musicians throughout this disc. This is especially true on the raucous big band versions of "Giant Steps" and "Lazy Bird." However, they can achieve a complete turnaround when playing the ballad "Naima" or "India," which becomes an ethereal, haunting mix (complete with tabla) sounding more like electric period Miles Davis unplugged than Coltrane's arrangement. Murray's "The Crossing" is a bit of a puzzling inclusion, since it is the only non-Trane composition performed, somewhat defeating the intention of the disc. The proceedings wind down with an engaging 15-minute version of "A Love Supreme: Part 1: Acknowledgment" proving Murray has studied not only the music of John Coltrane, but like him insists on applying his individuality through his horn." - Al Campbell, All Music Guide
