Yesterday, on what would have been vocalist Mark Murphy's 91st birthday (he died in 2015), I posted 10 favorite clips of songs recorded in the early part of his career, between 1956 and 1962. Murphy then left for the U.K.,where he remained until his return in 1972. When Murphy arrived back in the U.S., he had a new artistic maturity. In Europe, free from the commercial pop demands in America, Murphy grew comfortable in his own skin and took greater vocal risks.
His first album recorded in the U.S. after his time abroad was Bridging a Gap, produced for Muse Records by Helen Keane and David Matthews. There would be 13 additional albums for the label, recorded over the 19 years that followed. The two periods that I haven't touched on but are worth exploring are his European output, which is excellent, and his recordings after 1991.
Here are 10 of my favorite Mark Murphy tracks on Muse between 1972 and 1991:
Here's Sunday in New York, from 1972, featuring Randy Brecker (tp), Michael Brecker (ts), Pat Rebillot (p,org), Sam Brown (g), Ron Carter (b), Jimmy Madison (d,perc) and David Matthews (arr)...
Here's Freddie Hubbard's Red Clay from Mark Murphy Sings The Red Clay, Naima And Other Great Songs (1975), featuring Randy Brecker (tp), David Sanborn (as), Michael Brecker (ts), Don Grolnick (p,org,el-p), Joe Puma (g), Harvie S (b), Jimmy Madison (d), Sue Evans (perc) and David Matthews (arr)...
Here's Stolen Moments from Stolen Moments (1978), with Warren Gale (tp), Mark Levine (tb), Richie Cole (as), Smith Dobson (p), Jim Nichols (g,el-b), Chuck Metcalf (b), Vince Lateano (d), Jack Gobbetti (perc) and Mitch Farber (arr)...
Here's Be Bop Lives (Boplicity), from Bop for Kerouac (1981), with Richie Cole (as,ts), Bill Mays (keyboards), Bruce Forman (g), Bob Magnusson or Luther Hughes (b), Roy McCurdy or Jeff Hamilton (d) and Michael Spiro (perc)...
Here's Two Kites from Brazil Songs (1984), with Jay Wagner (synt), Michael Austin-Boe (p), Claudio Amaral (g), Rubens Moura, Jr. (d) and Chalo Eduardo and Michael Spiro (perc)...
Here's The End of a Love Affair from Mark Murphy Sings the Nat King Cole Songbook Vol. 2 (1983), with Joe LoDuca (g)...
Here's Charleston Alley from Living Room (1984), with Ted Curson (tp,flhrn), Gerry Niewood (ts,fl), David Braham (org,keyboards), Harry Leahey (g), Ed Caccavale (d) and Lawrence Killian (perc)...
Here's Along Came Betty from Beauty and the Beast (1987), arranged and conducted by Bill Mays, with Brian Lynch (tp,flhrn), Bill Mays (keyboards), Lou Lausche (vln), Steve LaSpina (b) and Joey Baron (d)...
Here's Ceora Lives based on the Lee Morgan song, from What a Way to Go (1990), with Dan Wilensky (ts), Pat Rebillot (p), John Corbert and Larry Fallon (synt), David Spinozza (g), Francisco Centeno (b), Alan Schwartzberg and Chris Parker (d) and John Kaye and Sammy Figueroa (perc)...
And here's Murphy and Sheila Jordan singing Where You At from One for Junior (1991), with Kenny Barron (p) and Bill Mays (synt,p), Harvie S (b) and Ben Riley (d)...
Bonus tracks: Pianist Bill Mays, who worked with Murphy, sent along the following live performance of You've Proven Your Point (Bongo Beep) in 1981, with Bill (p), Monty Budwig (b) and Chia Harris (d)...
Bill Kirchner sent along his favorite Mark Murphy album, Once to Every Heart (2005). Here's the title track (the rest of the album can be found at YouTube), with Till Brönner (tp, flghrn), Frank Chastenier (p), Christian von Kaphengst (b) and Nan Schwartz (arr strings, cond)...
Mark Rabin sent along this video of Mark Murphy at Los Angeles's Jazz Bakery in 2006...
Mark also sent this video, a documentary by Brad Saville taped at New York's Iridium in 2006...
