Mark Murphy RIP

[mjazzg]

LondonJazzNews is reporting the death of Mark Murphy.Source is Sheila Jordan's Facebook

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2015/10/rip-mark-murphy-1932-2015.html

a great voice falls silent

[fasstrack]

That's too bad. Sheila would know, as she visited him often in the nursing home. He was a singular talent. RIP.

[clifford_thornton]

Dang. RIP.

[duaneiac]

Wow , I am sorry to hear that.  There had been reports that he was in poor health and he had retired from performing a few years ago.  He certainly had his own style, like it or not (and even though I generally do like his music, there were times when he went a bit extreme even for me), and what more can you ask for?

I only saw him perform once, as part of the Stanford Jazz Festival several years ago.  After intermission, I'd guess almost half the audience had disappeared, so he wasn't a singer to every one's taste.  At his best, his style was singular and really quite amazing.

RIP Mr. Murphy.

[mjzee]

Very sad.  I'll play the 32Jazz compilation later today.  RIP.

[JSngry]

He was a regular on the  jazz radio here for a long time. Never really "got" him myself, but his individuality was as unmistakable as his integrity was unimpeachable. Plenty of respect here.

RIP

Proof that his appeal extended past the jazz puristgeeks.

 

[GA Russell]

RIP.  He was my favorite singer when I was in college.

I had the pleasure of meeting him twice.  Nice guy.

[mjazzg]

He was a regular on the  jazz radio here for a long time. Never really "got" him myself, but his individuality was as unmistakable as his integrity was unimpeachable. Plenty of respect here.

RIP

Proof that his appeal extended past the jazz puristgeeks.

 

The Talkin' Loud connection's no surprise. He was big in London's Jazz dance/Acid Jazz club scene. It's how I first heard him and then bought Rah

Edited October 22, 2015 by mjazzg

[Cyril]

R.I.P. Mr. Murphy

[BFrank]

I'm a BIG fan - especially his albums on Muse, and specifically "Mark Murphy Sings" (a must-have for jazz vocal fans, IMO).

I saw him several times in the late 70's/early 80's when he lived in the Bay Area. He had a regular gig in a bar in Tiburon for a while, too. I saw him several years after that and it seemed like he had fallen into relying on some mannerisms that took away from his appeal as a singer I thought, and probably didn't help his career.

RIP, Mark!

[soulpope]

now on another voyage ... thank your for the music and R.I.P

[GA Russell]

[Cyril]

 

[Hardbopjazz]

RIP.

[mikeweil]

He was great, had his own, was one of the torchkeepers of vocalese. And although I didn't listen to his records often in recent years, one of my all time favourite male singers. R.I.P.

 

[duaneiac]

 

[medjuck]

I always liked his record "Rah!" but later editions dropped his rewording of "I'll be Seeing You" and "My Favorite Things" apparently at the insistence of the copyright owners.    I still remember  "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar faces of the horses at the races..."   Saw him a couple of times in the '60s and in the last decade liked his cd "Love is What Stays"  which uses "Stolen Moments" as a theme. RIP. 

[GA Russell]

[BFrank]

Some great scatting on this tune.

I first heard him on this album. I was hooked right away with this tune.

 

 

[fasstrack]

And the radio tributes are pouring in: WBGO in Newark and Jonathan Schwartz. Schwartz featured some masterful ballad singing, including These Foolish Things with the seldom-heard additional lyric. His interpretations were daring and original and his instrument exemplary.  We lost an artist and visionary.

[ArtSalt]

My entry into Murphy's universe was Kerouac, Then And Now which begins with the vocal version of Srayhorn's Blood Count by B. Stillman. That would have been 1991/92 when I was studying the Beats and Lord Buckley. Not so happy days as it happens, but along with Chet Baker it was opening-up a new way of being as the then current popular and rock music fell silent for me.

Been a fan ever since. I remember reading somewhere in the late 90s that he was looking to record some albums of Brazilian music, but that doesn't seem to have happened. That would have been interesting.

[BFrank]

12 hours ago, ArtSalt said:

My entry into Murphy's universe was Kerouac, Then And Now which begins with the vocal version of Srayhorn's Blood Count by B. Stillman. That would have been 1991/92 when I was studying the Beats and Lord Buckley. Not so happy days as it happens, but along with Chet Baker it was opening-up a new way of being as the then current popular and rock music fell silent for me.

Been a fan ever since. I remember reading somewhere in the late 90s that he was looking to record some albums of Brazilian music, but that doesn't seem to have happened. That would have been interesting.

He did a couple Brazilian albums in the 80's

And also: "Brazil Song (Cancoes Do Brazil)" in '84

Edited November 8, 2015 by BFrank

[fasstrack]

Does anyone know Song for the Geese? The title tune was co-written with Sean Smith.

[ArtSalt]

No, I've just found it on Youtube though!

I don't know those Brazilian albums, but I just remembered I have the wonderful latin seared Sconsoloto on the Gilles Peterson compiled Themes From The Black Forest.

[BFrank]

His version of Sconsoloto is great! On this album - worth picking up, for sure.