Songs of the Week: Mark Murphy

These quotes are from his Wikipedia entry:

'There's a party goin' on in Mark's head, and I want to go to it!' – Liza Minnelli

'He is my equal.' – Ella Fitzgerald

'I was quite literally amazed. Mark's musicianship, range, intonation, diction, inventiveness and incredible rhythmic sense are all of a piece and all marvelous.' – Alec Wilder (composer)

'One of the major artists of our age.' – Stereo Review

'For decades, the question What exactly is a jazz singer has had two easy answers: Betty Carter and Mark Murphy.' – New York Post

'He is arguably the best male jazz singer in the business.' – Rex Reed

'I can't help relishing his sure and swinging time, his musical and ever-inventive phrasing and that certain quality of sound and feeling combined with time and taste that to me spells jazz.' – Dan Morgenstern (jazz journalist)

'He is one of the true remaining jazz hipsters of our time’. – Jazziz Magazine

'Mark has devoted a long career to singing the hippest music with the best musicians. Consider the company he has kept on records. In the '60s, Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Roger Kellaway. In the '70s, David Sanborn and the Brecker Brothers. In the '80s, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole, and the Azymuth Trio. Consider the jazzmen to whose instrumental works he has composed and sung lyrics: Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Charlie Parker, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter.' – Leonard Feather

His official site.


With an eye on those who tend to get depressed during the holidays as they are upon us, Mark Murphy's rendition of Michael Franks' "Don't Be Blue" leads the trio of this week's songs. Stick around to hear the emotion laden "Again." These cuts are from Mr. Murphy's Stolen Moments lp. Dusty's still here with "Just A Little Lovin'" and that's because they are kindred spirits. Not that Dusty is a jazz singer, although she has done so more than once and admirably.

Years ago, ten or so, when the music industry was allegedly more solvent a small distributor in Portland, Oregon--Allegro Music--used to fly buyers from all across the US to sell its products. Among the attendees were journalists from Jazziz and Downbeat from time to time. A question was asked about why Mark was not hugely commercially successful while being universally respected as a great artist. The response was, "Homophobia, I guess" from the journalist seated at the seminar.

Mr. Murphy turned 75 this year and continues to make memorable recordings.