David Murray (Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet) was born in Oakland, Californ… Read Full Bio ↴David Murray (Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet) was born in Oakland, California in 1955. He grew up in Berkeley and studied with Catherine Murray (organist and David's mother), Bobby Bradford, Arthur Blythe, Stanley Crouch, Margaret Kohn and many others before he left Pomona College (Los Angeles) for New York where he moved in 1975. In New York he met and played with Cecil Taylor, who along with Dewey Redman gave the young musician the encouragement he needed. The city would again be a source of new encounters, with people and with music from all horizons: Sunny Murray, Tony Braxton, Oliver Lake, Don Cherry. In Ted Daniel's Energy Band he worked with Hamiet Bluiett, Lester Bowie and Frank Lowe. In 1976, after an European tour, David Murray set up the first of his mythic groups, the World Saxophone Quartet, with Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett and Julius Hemphill. This marked the beginning of an intensely creative time, when one recording led to another, with an endless permutation of formations. From Jerry Garcia to Max Roach and from Randy Weston to Elvin Jones, David Murray worked as widely as possible until 1978, when he set up his own quartet, then octet and finally his quintet. From this time on his focus has been more on his own formations, although he frequently works with other musicians, drawing in a whole range of different sounds, from strings (the 1982 concert at the Public Theatre in New York), to Ka drums from Guadeloupe (Créole in 1998 and Yonn Dé in 2002) and South African dancers and musicians (Mbizo, 1998), just some of the treasures he has discovered on his journey David Murray's awards include : a Grammy and several nominations; a Guggenheim Fellowship; the Bird Award; the Danish Jazzpar Prize; Village Voice musician of the decade (1980s); Newsday musician of the year (1993); personality of the Guinness Jazz festival (Ireland, 1994); the Ralph J. Simon Rex Award (1995). Two documentaries have been made about David Murray's life: "Speaking in Tongues" (1982) and "Jazzman", nominated at the Baltimore Film Festival (1999).

"Murray's music stems from the post-free movement, combining the innovations of free in the 70's and New Orleans jazz. It is characterized by its paroxystic effects, producing a harsh, extreme sound. He draws explicitly on African traditions, and symbolizes a return to a raw sound". From Le Dictionnaire du jazz, éd. Laffont, 1995

Dinah
David Murray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Carolina
Gave me Dinah;
I'm the proudest one
Beneath the Dixie sun.

News is spreadin'
'Bout our weddin';
I hear church bells ringin',

Here's the song my heart keeps singin':

Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!

Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!

Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!

But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,
I would hop an ocean liner,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!

Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!

Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!

Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!

But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,

I would hop an ocean!,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!

Overall Meaning

The song "Dinah" by David Murray is a sweet love song dedicated to the singer's beloved, Dinah. The lyrics begin with Carolina, the place where the singer met Dinah and how proud he is to have her as his partner. The news of their wedding is spreading, and the church bells are ringing, symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter in their life. The chorus of the song is an expression of the singer's love for Dinah and his admiration for her beauty. He asks if there is anyone finer than her and encourages whoever knows someone finer than her to show her.

The second verse of the song talks about the intensity of the singer's love for Dinah. He loves gazing into her Dixie eyes, and every night, he shakes with fright because he fears that one day, she might change her mind about him. However, the singer promises to go to any length to be with Dinah, even if she ever wandered off to China. The song concludes with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's love for Dinah.

Overall, the song "Dinah" is a beautiful love letter to the singer's beloved. It captures the essence of young love, the overwhelming feeling of being in love, and the desire to be with someone forever. The song's melody is upbeat and cheerful, and the lyrics are simple, yet powerful, making it a timeless classic.

Line by Line Meaning

Carolina
The state of Carolina is where I received the gift of love in the form of Dinah.

Gave me Dinah;
Dinah was given to me, implying that love is a gift that should be cherished.

I'm the proudest one, Beneath the Dixie sun.
The love I have for Dinah fills me with immense pride, and my love shines brighter than the southern sun.

News is spreadin' 'Bout our weddin'; I hear church bells ringin', Here's the song my heart keeps singin':
There is news spreading about our impending wedding, and the sound of the church bells ringing fills my heart with joy, leading me to sing of my love for Dinah.

Dinah, Is there anyone finer In the state of Carolina? If there is and you know her, Show her!
My love for Dinah is unparalleled, and I challenge anyone to show me someone finer than her in the state of Carolina.

Dinah, With her Dixie eyes blazin', How I love to sit and gaze in To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
I am entranced by Dinah's beautiful eyes, and I love nothing more than staring into them.

Yet, every night, My, how I shake with fright, Because my Dinah might, Change her mind about me!
Despite my love for Dinah, I am plagued with fear that she might change her mind about me and our love.

But if Dinah, Ever wandered to China, I would hop an ocean liner, Just to be with Dinah Lee!
Even if Dinah were to travel to China, I would go to great lengths and travel across the ocean just to be with her.

Dinah, Is there anyone finer In the state of Carolina? If there is and you know her, Show her!
I reiterate my belief that Dinah is the finest person in Carolina, and I challenge anyone to show me otherwise.

Dinah, With her Dixie eyes blazin', How I love to sit and gaze in To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
My love for Dinah is unbreakable, and I continue to long for the chance to stare into her beautiful eyes.

Yet, every night, My, how I shake with fright, Because my Dinah might, Change her mind about me!
The fear of losing Dinah still plagues me, and I remain anxious that she could change her mind about our love.

But if Dinah, Ever wandered to China, I would hop an ocean!, Just to be with Dinah Lee!
I would go to any lengths to be with Dinah, even if it meant traveling across the ocean to be with her.

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