There are probably arguments that could be made against this
claim, but Sunny Murray is free jazz’s first truly free drummer. Instead of
simply keeping time, Murray’s playing is purely expressionistic, pouring his
entire being into a cacophony of textural percussion. Considering his place in
the free jazz pantheon, it is unsurprising that he cut his teeth in the Cecil
Taylor Unit and then in the Albert Ayler Trio and Quartet, three of the most
important groups in free jazz’s development. While his playing on albums by
these groups, and especially on the Albert Ayler Trio’s fiery Ghosts, is rightfully lauded by fans and
critics, his work as a bandleader is too often overlooked. He recorded two
great ESP-Disks—1965’s Sunny’s Time Now and
1966’s Sunny Murray—while still a member
of Ayler’s band—along with the transitional Big
Chief for EMI/Pathe in 1968 between his stint with Ayler and Archie Shepp’s
invitation to join him at the Panafrican Festival at the start of the next
summer. While Murray’s first three albums as leader are very good, Murray’s
voice is still very much tied to his work with Ayler. Murray’s time with Shepp
and his experiences recording for BYG Actuel freed him of these stylistic
constraints and allowed him to find his own voice as a writer.
