David Murray Quartet feat. Francesca Cinelli
Blue Note Los Angeles1492 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles 90028
David Murray brings his current quartet to Blue Note Los Angeles, featuring vocalist and lyricist Francesca Cinelli. The group pairs Murray with pianist Marta Sanchez, double bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Russell Carter. Their set draws on the music of Francesca, an album built mainly from Murray compositions and praised as one of the year’s best jazz releases. Expect Cinelli’s voice and lyrics woven into a quartet sound that makes room for Murray’s tenor saxophone and bass clarinet.
Murray is a New York based saxophonist and bass clarinetist who has shaped modern jazz for more than fifty years and is a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet. His work brings together “Gospel sounds, free jazz, Afro-Caribbean, blues, soul as well as the beautiful standards of classic jazz.” Across his career he has played with Max Roach, Randy Weston, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Taj Mahal, Cassandra Wilson, Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer and Gregory Porter, among many others. The Washington Post called this quartet “the next generation of geniuses,” while Slate heard Murray on Francesca “in full possession of the magic.” London Jazz News singled out the “richness” of his tenor tone; All About Jazz called the record “triumphant.”
A small, dimly lit basement club tucked into a Hollywood corner, Blue Note Los Angeles is a dedicated jazz and live music space with a long-standing reputation for intimate, high-quality performances. The room is modest, with a few rows of seats facing a stage where the music is the focus. It's a place to listen, not to socialize, with the audience often quiet, absorbed in the musicians. Drinks are available, but the atmosphere is centered on the music. Shows are ticketed, with multiple sets each night, and the evening unfolds with a steady rhythm of live music, not casual conversation.