Morning Song

Hicks is a wonderfully supportive and sensitive partner, particularly on the standard, and Blackwell's drumming touches all the right bases. (source: The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD)

"MORNING SONG represents one of Murray's more melodic periods with an outstanding all-star quartet featuring Reggie Workman on bass, John Hicks on piano, and the mighty Ed Blackwell on drums. The title track opens the disc, betraying Murray's gospel influences. His tone on the tenor saxophone, however, recalls John Coltrane (with whom both Blackwell and Workman had played).   "Body and Soul" has an especially deft touch by Hicks. "Light Blue Frolic," a Butch Morris composition, is a fast-paced post-bop number while the Quartet interprets Fats Wallers' "Jitterbug Waltz" as a ballad. All in all, MORNING SONG is a fine example of the intricately melodic direction Murray was going in during the early 1980s."   (source: CdUniverse.com)