David Murray/Bobby Few/ John Betsch/Jean-Jacques Avenel - Flowers Around Cleveland

This 1995 Paris date made with members of Steve Lacy's sextet -- pianist Bobby Few, bassist J.j. Avenel, and drummer John Betsch -- reveals a natural affinity between Murray and this trio. There was little rehearsal, just a quick run-through of the proposed material and then the session. From the opener of Murray's "Fantasy Rainbow," with its gliding lyric, easy 6/8 groove, and Avenel's slippery, backhanded counter-rhythmic support, Murray and Few float through one another, winding figures across intervals and knotting them so tightly they can not be untied in the solos. Read More