Live at Sweet Basil Volume 1 is the seventh 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 first to feature his Big Band. It was released in 1984 and features performances by Murray, Olu Dara

Olu Dara

Olu Dara Jones is an American cornetist, guitarist and singer.-History:...

, Baikida Carroll

Baikida Carroll

Baikida Carroll is an American jazz trumpeter.Carroll studied at Southern Illinois University and at the Armed Forces School of Music early in his career. Following this he became a member of the Black Artists Group in St. Louis, where he directed their free jazz ensemble...

, 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...

, Bob Stewart, Vincent Chancey

Vincent Chancey

Vincent Chancey is an American jazz hornist.Chancey, a French horn player, attended the Southern Illinois University School of Music and then studied under Julius Watkins in New York City...

, Steve Coleman

Steve Coleman

Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...

, John Purcell

John Purcell (musician)

John Raymond Purcell is an American jazz saxophonist.-Biography:Purcell was raised in Westchester, New York, where he started on French horn before switching to saxophone. He attended the Manhattan School of Music, achieving his master's degree in 1978, then formed a 22-piece ensemble based in...

, Rod Williams, Fred Hopkins

Fred Hopkins

Fred Hopkins was a Chicago double bassist who played a major role in the development of the avant-garde jazz movement. He was a member of the avant garde jazz trio Air and David Murray's Low Class Conspiracy; he frequently worked with the cellist Diedre Murray...

 and Billy Higgins

Billy Higgins

Billy Higgins was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop.Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958...

 conducted by Lawrence "Butch" Morris

Butch Morris

Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris is an American jazz cornetist, composer and conductor.-Biography:Before his musical career, Morris served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War....

. The album was followed by Live at Sweet Basil Volume 2.

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 3 stars stating "The David Murray Big Band tends to be a bit undisciplined, with plenty of rambunctious and overcrowded ensembles... The Dixieland-esque structures are better understood by some of the musicians than others, and this performance is quite erratic but certainly memorable".

Track listing

All compositions by David Murray

1. "Lovers" - 8:20
2. "Bechet's Bounce" - 12:05
3. "Silence" - 5:55
4. "Duet for Big Band" - 16:10
   • Recorded live in concert at Sweet Basil, NYC, August 24–26, 1984

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
• Olu Dara
  Olu Dara
  Olu Dara Jones is an American cornetist, guitarist and singer.-History:...
  
  : cornet
• Baikida Carroll
  Baikida Carroll
  Baikida Carroll is an American jazz trumpeter.Carroll studied at Southern Illinois University and at the Armed Forces School of Music early in his career. Following this he became a member of the Black Artists Group in St. Louis, where he directed their free jazz ensemble...
  
  : 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
• Bob Stewart: tuba
• Vincent Chancey
  Vincent Chancey
  Vincent Chancey is an American jazz hornist.Chancey, a French horn player, attended the Southern Illinois University School of Music and then studied under Julius Watkins in New York City...
  
  : flugelhorn
• Steve Coleman
  Steve Coleman
  Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...
  
  : soprano saxophone, alto saxophone
• John Purcell
  John Purcell (musician)
  John Raymond Purcell is an American jazz saxophonist.-Biography:Purcell was raised in Westchester, New York, where he started on French horn before switching to saxophone. He attended the Manhattan School of Music, achieving his master's degree in 1978, then formed a 22-piece ensemble based in...
  
  : alto saxophone, clarinet
• Rod Williams: piano
• Fred Hopkins
  Fred Hopkins
  Fred Hopkins was a Chicago double bassist who played a major role in the development of the avant-garde jazz movement. He was a member of the avant garde jazz trio Air and David Murray's Low Class Conspiracy; he frequently worked with the cellist Diedre Murray...
  
  : bass
• Billy Higgins
  Billy Higgins
  Billy Higgins was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop.Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958...
  
  : percussion
• Lawrence "Butch" Morris
  Butch Morris
  Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris is an American jazz cornetist, composer and conductor.-Biography:Before his musical career, Morris served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War....
  
  : conductor