David Murray & Kahil El'zabar at Bop Shop Records

Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray have been exchanging spiritual energy for more than 40 years. When they met in 1975 in Chicago, El’Zabar was a percussionist and vocalist deeply involved with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and Murray was a tenor saxophonist on a road trip as part of an independent study program at California’s Pomona College.“We met on a basketball court, and it was just a real good vibration,” El’Zabar recalled during an early July video chat that also included Murray. “From the first time we met, we were able to play together on the same team. We had the ability to see each other’s spaces.”...

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Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray have been exchanging spiritual energy for more than 40 years. When they met in 1975 in Chicago, El’Zabar was a percussionist and vocalist deeply involved with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and Murray was a tenor saxophonist on a road trip as part of an independent study program at California’s Pomona College.“We met on a basketball court, and it was just a real good vibration,” El’Zabar recalled during an early July video chat that also included Murray. “From the first time we met, we were able to play together on the same team. We had the ability to see each other’s spaces.”

For over 25 years, Bop Shop Records has had a happy and productive relationship with AACM master percussionist Kahil El'Zabar. Going back to 2000 when he first brought his main band, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, to the atrium at Village Gate, he has graced us with several versions of his various ensembles. Earlier in 2016, we presented an edition of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble featuring trombonist Craig Harris and baritone saxophonist Hamiet Blueitt. Back in 2001, we presented the duo of El'Zabar and violinist Billy Bang. But perhaps our most well-attended concert was a duet set with saxophonist David Murray in 2000. And we are proud that it resulted in the album We Is: Live At The Bop Shop, released on Delmark Records to great acclaim. Just a sampling of the reviews:

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