Paul Murphy (musician)
Paul P Murphy (born January 25, 1949 in Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American jazz drummer.
Murphy awoke one day in Washington, D.C. at the tender young age of seven to the world of bebop Jazz and blues. He carried two drum sticks everyday as he walked 15 miles to school and back. He began his studies with the late Louis Bellson.[1] By the ripe old age age 12 he was making music with Andy Taylor, one of Ellington best of the best bassist at that time.
After playing jazz, blues and funk in the far out Washington scene for years he split for the West Coast. In California, at that time, they were playing Punk Fusion. Murphy found himself to be the driving engine of the next best thing to hit the World by inventing the California shuffle. The boys dance that shuffle to this very day. After cooling it there for a while, Murphy asked the greatJimmy Lyons if he should play New York City or not. After getting the nod from Lyons, Murphy drove non-stop to New York where we began working for Rashied Ali's loft club called Ali's Alley.[2]
In 1974 Murphy joined Lyons's group. For the next few years he played with the Jimmy Lyons band. During this New York period, he played with a quintet featuring Dewey Johnson on trumpet, Jay Oliver on bass, Karen Borca on bassoon, and Mary Anne Driscoll on piano. Soon a spectrum of other musicians joined in ranging from Larry Willis to Jaki Byard Murphy has been a leading force of the early Avant-Garde jazz / Rock / Blues mixture with his remarkable drumming technique.
Just after Jimmy Lyon died, Murphy dropped out of New York and started playing the Vegas stage as the house drummer for the Wayne Newton Trio . In late the 80's he moved back to San Fran and the Bay Areas, playing mostly pickup avant garde for the Wrecking Crew During the dry spells, he would kick it with Glen Spearman or India Cook he even played with the great cellist Kash Killion. Murphy eventually moved back to the DC area where he met MapleShade Records recording artist Larry 'fingers' Willis Together they took the DC Jazz scene by storm. What started at MapleShade Records that day has led to their explosive Empire of the 'Wall of Sound' heard around the World today. Recording with Larry 'fingers' Willis led Murphy back to his roots and has placed him back on top as the 'Chief Administrative Officer' and number one Avant Garde Fusion drummer on the entire East Coast. Murphy's bone smoking rise has led to a few recording sessions with pianist Joel Futterman, Jere Carroll and Kash Killion. Murphy put together the, now famous, Trio Hurricane sessions Suite of Winds in Aug with Glenn Spearman and William Parker Murphy continues to this day recording free style jazz duo sessions. Murphy worked his magic, yet again, during another MapleShade Records recording event featuring Clifford Jordan, Ran Blake, and Larry Willis putting down their highly righteous mix of Jazz, Funk, Soul, Blues, and Advant-Garde. His recordings Excursions and Exposé plays out the high-end funk energy that proves his unique disambiguation into the world of Bebop, Avant-Garde flavored fusions we hear so often in the music of today's market. The recordings of 'Break Away' featuring Jere Carroll and Joel Futterman, 'Excursions' Larry Willis and 'Exposé' will stand the test of time.
Discography
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- Wee Sneezawie (Black Saint, 1983)
With Raphe Malik
- Companions (Eremite, 2002)
References
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