Article Contributed by Missing Piece Group
Published on November 1, 2025
An Affirmation Of His Indomitable Spirit & A Celebration Of His Hometown Of Detroit
Saxophonist Dave McMurray has released his new single, The Jungaleers, from his forthcoming Blue Note Records album I LOVE LIFE (even when I’m hurting). The album is an affirmation of McMurray’s indomitable spirit and a celebration of the love he has for his hometown of Detroit and the many musicians he’s collaborated with over the years.
“The Jungaleers” shuffles to an Afrobeat groove anchored by drummer Jeff Canady and percussionist Mahindi Masai, with additional propulsion from bassist and producer Don Was, McMurray’s longtime collaborator and Blue Note Records president. The song title pays homage to the mascot of Detroit’s Southeastern High School, where McMurray attended—though, as he admits, the tune came to him with visions of “four big African dudes marching.” McMurray will celebrate the album’s unveiling with a record release show at Third Man Records in Detroit on November 14.
McMurray conceived the album title I LOVE LIFE even when I’m hurting after a deep conversation about the passing of a close friend who had been worn down by illness and died alone. His response to that heartbreaking moment was one of pure resilience: “Man, I love life even when I’m hurting.” He wrote the phrase down, and it became the emotional compass for the album. “That ended up being the album title, because I kind of wrote songs around that,” he explained. “Songs about positivity.”
McMurray penned six of the nine compositions, all brimming with soulful melodicism, emotional immediacy, and irresistible grooves. Co-produced by McMurray and Don Was, the record was tracked at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak, Michigan, with a powerhouse Detroit lineup featuring bassists Was and Ibrahim Jones, keyboardists Luis Resto and Maurice O’Neal, guitarist Wayne Gerard, drummer Jeff Canady, percussionist Mahindi Masai, and vocalist Herschel Boone.
“Making this album was such a cool project,” McMurray concludes, “because everyone on it is someone I love.”
Listen to “The Jungaleers” and pre-order I LOVE LIFE (even when I’m hurting) here.
