Hope Scope is the fourteenth album by David Murray

David Murray (jazz musician)

David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...

 to be released on the Italian Black Saint

Black Saint/Soul Note

Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian jazz independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz.-History:...

 label and the fifth to feature his Octet. It was released in 1991 and features performances by Murray, Rasul Siddik, Hugh Ragin

Hugh Ragin

Hugh Ragin is an American jazz trumpeter.Ragin was raised in Houston and began on trumpet when he was in eighth grade. After playing in the Houston All-City High School Orchestra, which toured the UK, he took his bachelor's in music education at the University of Houston and his master's in trumpet...

, Craig Harris

Craig S. Harris (trombonist)

Craig S. Harris is a Jazz trombonist and composer who has been a major figure in the jazz avant-garde movement since his stint with Sun Ra in 1976. Subsequently, Harris has worked with such notable jazz artists as Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal...

, James Spaulding, Dave Burrell

Dave Burrell

Davis Burrell is an American jazz instrumentalist, most notably on the piano. He has worked for many jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown and David Murray.- Biography :...

, Wilber Morris

Wilber Morris

Wilber Morris was an American jazz double bass player and bandleader. He was the brother of the cornetist, composer, and conductor Butch Morris....

 and Ralph Peterson, Jr.

Ralph Peterson, Jr.

Ralph Peterson, Jr. is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.Four of Peterson's uncles and his grandfather were all drummers, and Peterson himself began on percussion at age three. He was raised in Atlantic City, where he played trumpet in high school and worked locally in funk groups...

. The album contains Murray's tributes to Ben Webster

Ben Webster

Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...

 and Lester Young

Lester Young

Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....

.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow

Scott Yanow

Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...

 awarded the album 4.5 stars stating "This spirited set has tributes to Ben Webster and Lester Young but is at its best when the full ensemble (trumpeters Hugh Ragin and Rasul Siddik, trombonist Craig Harris, altoist James Spaulding, pianist Dave Burrell, bassist Wilber Morris and drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr., along with the leader on tenor and bass clarinet) get to improvise together. This is one of their strongest all-round recordings with "Hope Scope" being a particular highpoint.".

Track listing

1. "Ben" - 7:41
2. "Same Places New Faces" (Harris
   Craig S. Harris (trombonist)
   Craig S. Harris is a Jazz trombonist and composer who has been a major figure in the jazz avant-garde movement since his stint with Sun Ra in 1976. Subsequently, Harris has worked with such notable jazz artists as Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal...
   
   ) - 9:03
3. "Hope Scope" - 8:23
4. "Lester" - 8:27
5. "Thabo" (Peterson
   Ralph Peterson, Jr.
   Ralph Peterson, Jr. is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.Four of Peterson's uncles and his grandfather were all drummers, and Peterson himself began on percussion at age three. He was raised in Atlantic City, where he played trumpet in high school and worked locally in funk groups...
   
   ) - 9:54

All compositions by David Murray except as indicated

• Recorded May 12, 1987, A & R Recording Studios, New York City

Personnel

• David Murray
  David Murray (jazz musician)
  David Murray is an American jazz musician. Murray plays mainly tenor saxophone and sometimes bass clarinet. He has recorded prolifically for many record labels since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...
  
   - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
• Rasul Siddik - trumpet
• Hugh Ragin
  Hugh Ragin
  Hugh Ragin is an American jazz trumpeter.Ragin was raised in Houston and began on trumpet when he was in eighth grade. After playing in the Houston All-City High School Orchestra, which toured the UK, he took his bachelor's in music education at the University of Houston and his master's in trumpet...
  
   - trumpet
• Craig Harris
  Craig S. Harris (trombonist)
  Craig S. Harris is a Jazz trombonist and composer who has been a major figure in the jazz avant-garde movement since his stint with Sun Ra in 1976. Subsequently, Harris has worked with such notable jazz artists as Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Muhal...
  
   - trombone
• James Spaulding - alto saxophone
• Dave Burrell
  Dave Burrell
  Davis Burrell is an American jazz instrumentalist, most notably on the piano. He has worked for many jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Brown and David Murray.- Biography :...
  
   - piano
• Wilber Morris
  Wilber Morris
  Wilber Morris was an American jazz double bass player and bandleader. He was the brother of the cornetist, composer, and conductor Butch Morris....
  
   - bass
• Ralph Peterson, Jr.
  Ralph Peterson, Jr.
  Ralph Peterson, Jr. is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.Four of Peterson's uncles and his grandfather were all drummers, and Peterson himself began on percussion at age three. He was raised in Atlantic City, where he played trumpet in high school and worked locally in funk groups...
  
  - drums