Over the last year, The Roots' Questlove and Ray Angry made an album with today's guest — Jazz legend David Murray [https://davidmurray.xyz/] David is a veteran saxophonist and a longtime leader within the Free Jazz movement. In this episode, taped in-studio, David explains why freedom in music reflects freedom in life. He recalls highlights of a 55-plus-year journey with intersections with a who's who of Jazz, as well as Sly Stone and The Grateful Dead. David discusses the moods, attitudes, tours, and figures that have colored his career. He also discusses working with The Roots and collaborating with Quest and Ray for their Plumb material [https://www.jmirecordings.com/the-jmi-record-store/david-murrayquestloveray-angry-plumb-4-lp-box-set]

0:00 - Introduction
2:00 - The Roots’ late manager Richard Nichols is an important conduit in Questlove’s relationship with David Murray
6:00 - David Murray had a unique relationship with Stanley Crouch, which dated back to a Pomona College English class. He also had diverging views on Jazz with Wynton Marsalis
11:45 - Where did David Murray see himself, creatively, when he debuted in the mid-1970s?
16:00 - David Murray scrapped what he had learned in his early years to enter the Avant Garde Jazz scene in New York City
18:00 - Coleman Hawkins was an influence, along with Sun Ra and Rashaan Roland Kirk
19:20 - David Murray met Sly Stone in church when he was young, living in the Bay Area
23:05 - In a discussion about church musicians, David Murray shares that Andre Crouch and Stanley Crouch are first cousins
25:20 - David Murray originally wanted to be a writer. He admired Stanley Crouch for that.
26:45 - David Murray was a passionate practitioner of playing the horn
27:30 - David Murray and his son Mingus Murray regularly jam together; a continuation of a rich tradition
30:00 - David Murray opines on the state of Jazz, and comments on why he has enjoyed longevity in his career
36:30 - David Murray reflects on working with Olu Dara, and discusses an unreleased album they made together during the late 1970s. He also recalls Olu giving out vegetables to showers for a specific reason
39:50 - Some discussion on the economics of being a Jazz musician back in the day
44:15 - The challenges of being a band leader, he recalls getting robbed and having to pay musicians in spite of it
49:30 - Why David Murray insists on playing Free Jazz, and that it’s deeper than music
52:15 - Newer Jazz musicians that are inspiring David Murray
53:10 - David Murray speaks about working with Pharoah Sanders
54:00 - David Murray and Questlove recall their collaboration on The Roots’ Illadelph Halflife album and working together on late night TV
58:20 - David Murray reflects on his Shakill’s Warrior album from 1991 and the subsequent touring. He recalls working with late pianist/oganist Don Pullen
1:02:20 - David Murray recalls June Tyson, a late affiliate to Sun Ra. David shares that Sun Ra invited him to play in his band
1:04:00 - David Murray knew lots of music critics
1:06:00 - A creative day in David Murray’s life, and working on an opera in Paris
1:08:50 - David Murray has been working with Bob Weir on a piece inspired by Satchell Paige; he discusses his collaborative relationship with the Grateful Dead
1:11:20 - David Murray’s first wife was playwright and poet Ntozake Shange, of For Colored Girls fame. He also discusses his solo catalog
1:14:15 - David Murray speaks about playing solo concerts, and some of the concepts he has toyed with. He reveals he was a former athlete and brought that agility to his shows
1:17:15 - Suga Steve and David Murray speak about making the Sun/Moon album
1:19:15 - David Murray, Questlove, and David Murray speak about making the Plumb album with Ray Angry — which was recorded during the pandemic
1:22:00 - Final words

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