Kahil El’Zabar & David Murray

Kahil El’Zabar is a Chicago percussionist and longtime member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He leads the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and the Ritual Trio, and plays hand drums, trap kit and kalimba, often adding chanted vocals. David Murray, born in Oakland, came up through the 1970s New York loft scene and co-founded the World Saxophone Quartet. He plays tenor saxophone and bass clarinet.

The two have recorded and performed together over several decades, both as a duo and in El’Zabar's larger groups. In the Kahil El’Zabar & David Murray pairing, El’Zabar sets up circular, repeating rhythms on drums or thumb piano, and Murray moves across them from deep, bluesy lines to high, split-tone cries.