The Birdsong Project is here for the birds.
TRACKLIST
1. Birdly Serenade
(feat. Ekep Nkwelle)
2. Bald Ego
3. Song Of The World (for Mixashawn Rozie) (feat. Ekep Nkwelle)
4. Black Bird’s Gonna Lite Up The Night
5. Nonna’s Last Flight
6. Capistrano Swallow
7. Bird’s The Word
8. Oiseau du paradis
(feat. Francesca Cinelli)
Master of Jazz David Murray Announces Birdly Serenade
Alongside His Lauded Quartet
MURRAY’S DEBUT FOR IMPULSE! RECORDS TO RELEASE ON ALL FORMATS APRIL 25
Presented by The Birdsong Project, Birdly Serenade includes a collection of eight original compositions with ambitious & bold bandleader David Murray.
Today, the fantastically prolific and endlessly ambitious Berkeley-born jazz star David Murray announces his new album. Nearly five decades into his storied career in jazz and improvised music, the saxophonist, bass clarinetist, composer and bandleader is making his Impulse! Records debut with Birdly Serenade, a collection of new compositions inspired by the original improvisors: birds. If the outdoorsy inspiration is new for the veteran player, the sound is in keeping with his massive, diverse body of recorded work, bold and innovative while remaining steeped in tradition. While he has appeared on hundreds of records as a leader and sideman, Birdly Serenade proves Murray is overdue for his moment of acclaim as an influential composer and saxophonist, and belongs in the pantheon of truly bold masters of jazz.
Birdly Serenade will be available on April 25, 2025 on all formats and, to celebrate the announcement, Murray shares “Birdly Serenade,” the title track featuring vocalist Ekep Nkwelle. Listen here, watch the video here, & pre-order the album here.
The album marks Murray’s first time recording at the storied Van Gelder Studio and his second recording alongside the all-star trio of pianist Marta Sánchez, bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Russell Carter, following Francesca, an homage to Murray's wife that was named one of the New York Times' best jazz albums of 2024. The album is also the latest installment in the GRAMMY award-winning Birdsong Project, produced by Randall Poster (Wolf Of Wall Street, Grand Budapest Hotel, School of Rock) & Stewart Lerman (Elvis Costello, Sharon Van Etten, Loudon Wainwright), and already featuring work by everyone from Yo Yo Ma, Mark Ronson, to The Flaming Lips. The Birdsong Project has emerged as one of the most active and influential cultural forces in the world of bird conservation, collaborating with the National Audubon Society and other partners including the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Obey Giant / Shepard Fairey, The Aspen Center For Environmental Studies, and Two Thirds For The Birds.
“The Birdsong Project is honored to present this birdly serenade by David Murray and his genius quartet. Inspired by a world of birds, the music on these recordings are overflowing with Murray magnificence. David’s writing and playing is incomparable. He and the band take flight again and again, like the birds we love.” — Randall Poster
“Even when David Murray first arrived in New York around 50 years ago as an upstart saxophonist and bandleader, he seemed like an old soul, communing with the roots of jazz while thriving on its cutting edge.” — The New York Times
David Murray Quartet - Birdly Serenade ft. Ekep Nkwelle
GRAMMY award winning 20-LP box set available now
For the Birds: The Birdsong Project is a collection of 172 pieces of new music inspired by the beauty of birdsong, performed by artists from across the musical spectrum. Comprised of 20 LPs, each with original cover art, this deluxe box set also features 73 works of bird-inspired poetry, read by familiar and famous voices.
Proceeds from For the Birds: The Birdsong Project benefit The National Audubon Society.
GRAMMY® award-winner for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package.
Born out of the For The Birds: The Birdsong Project, we proudly announce The Birdsong Society. This new collective will unite Artists, Environmentalists, and Innovators to build a culturally diverse community of collaborators supporting and celebrating the birds.
The Birdsong Society will be a global force, exploring the depths of birdsong, creating art inspired by its mysterious beauty, and working to better understand our impact on birds and their environment. At the heart of our mission is the belief that birdsong is not only a powerful force for positive change but also has the potential to inspire people to live more sustainably and with greater appreciation For The Birds.
The Birdsong Society is committed to programming, including educational discussions, panels with global experts, guided meditation series (with Birdsong Project co-founder Rebecca Reagan), curated collections of Birdsong Project-inspired filmmaking, a new upcoming Shepard Fairey collaboration, and much more. Music and poetry remain central to our activities as we continue to grow.
We strongly believe that each artist’s work is informed by the world they come from. For The Birds: The Birdsong Project represents cultures from 31 countries, spanning from small towns in Northwest Africa to the rural countryside of Ireland and bustling cities like Paris, Tokyo, and New York. This diversity is a cornerstone of our commitment to building a truly global society, The Birdsong Society.
We Are Birds.
FOR THE BIRDS LP 3 cover art by Simone Shubuck
Our Mission
The Birdsong Project is a community dedicated to the protection of bird life, and to the celebration of the joy and mysteries of birdsong. We believe that birds – no matter feather or flock – are precious and inspiring and fundamental to our world. That a world without birds would be a world without freedom and flight and song. We believe birds matter. Are endangered. And need our help.
In collaboration with some of the world’s greatest musicians, artists, and actors, For the Birds: The Birdsong Project is an art-filled, 20LP box set including over 200 tracks of original music and bird-related poetry. The Producers and Artists of this collection are proud donors to the National Audubon Society and its mission to protect birds and the places they need today, tomorrow, and for all of our futures.
Join us.
FOR THE BIRDS LP 14 cover art by Elsa Kuhn
Chirp!!!
For The Birds