“MORNING SONG.” David Murray. Black Saint BSR...

“MORNING SONG.” David Murray. Black Saint BSR 0075. The comparatively mellow tone and inclusion of two standards among the six selections here indicates an effort by tenor saxophonist Murray to court the jazz mainstream. “Morning Song” is undercut by a quartet that looks formidable on paper yet only sporadically jells on vinyl. Murray’s duet outings with pianist John Hicks (“Body and Soul”) and drummer Ed Blackwell (the wild and woolly “Duet”) are high points, but the title track’s loose-limbed swing is the lone display of uncluttered, cohesive ensemble work. 2 1/2 stars.