David Murray

Sacred Ground (feat. Cassandra Wilson)

Tracks

Album Details

Sacred Ground is a fascinating and important new recording that grew from David Murray’s involvement in the acclaimed documentary film, Banished, directed by Marco Williams. Although it’s virtually unknown, more than a dozen counties in the U.S. violently expelled thousands of families between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The film – and this recording – explores not only these historical facts, but also the legacy of these events in the communities and for the descendants of the families.

After exploring the themes of the film he’d been asked to score, Murray was inspired – indeed compelled – to dig deeper, and to compose further music. David Murray enlisted poet Ishmael Reed, one of today's pre-eminent African-American literary figures. Reed wrote two poems, performed here by the great Cassandra Wilson.

David Murray, tenor sax, bass clarinet
Cassandra Wilson, vocals (tracks 1 and 7)
Lafayette Gilchrist, piano
Ray Drummond, bass
Andrew Cyrille, drums