Friday, July 23, 2021

World Saxophone Quartet in San Francisco in the mid-eighties

Twice in the mid-eighties, I went to see the World Saxophone Quartet at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco: Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, and David Murray. Each played at least one unaccompanied solo per set. At the end of an overwhelming, energetic solo by Murray, the whole group played a final passage together, and Lake was so excited he repeatedly shouted, “David Murray! David Murray!” Another time, during an unaccompanied passage, the others came out as if the solo were ending, played one chord, and left the stage again, laughing, while the soloist continued. The musicians' enthusiasm and amusement made those concerts so intense, joyous, and memorable. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 23 July 2021)

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/61/Live_in_Zurich.jpg
World Saxophone Quartet, Live in Zürich, 1984

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