David Murray - Sun/Moon (Gate) [LP]

This LP was a turning point for our label. After nine records, we had our process, confidence and profile high enough to swing for the fences: the tenor titan David Murray. Murray represented a major step up for JMI as regards his history in this music. With over 200 LPs as a leader and hundreds more as a sideman, not to mention decades of critically lauded performances, Mr. Murray is simply one of our musical heroes. Indeed, during a period of months in 2020, Mr. Mandel did a series of Instagram live shows each Monday, playing only LPs from Mr. Murray's prolific output. He called the show Murray Mondays. That's why it was such a happy coincidence that after years of living abroad, Mr. Murray was moving back to New York City and amenable to recording this solo tenor saxophone and bass clarinet session for us. From the moment he ambled into Reservoir Studio on December 4, 2021, unassumingly unpacking his horns, until he regaled us with stories about other heroes Jerry Garcia and Bob Thiele, Mr. Murray was a dream fulfilled. The recordings were pristine, with nary a dud among the original compositions and improvisations. We had to release everything in the highest audiophile pressing we could: our first double LP mastered at 45 r.p.m. This was also the first cover to feature photography by Mr. Mandel, who by this release was fully in control of the design of our jackets.