Description
To say Mark Murphy is a jazz singer is an understatement. He's beyond that title. He's a poet, an actor and above all a soulful human being filled with tremendous musical talent. I have known Mark for over 50 years and have developed a very special friendship with him. I like to call him my Spiritual Brother.
I heard him sing for the first time in a little club I worked at in Greenwich Village called the Page 3. He came in to say hello to the owners who adored him. They asked him to do a tune and this very tall handsome young man took the tiny stage and turned it into a huge concert hall. I'll never forget it. He sang "Willow Weep for Me". I was blown away by his voice and deep feeling. I've loved him and his music ever since.
The music you are about to hear is a tour de force of Mark and his musical depth. Not only does he sing some very beautiful standard compositions, he adds some inspiring words and music written by both himself, Karlheinz Charlie Miklin, an incredible horn player and the late, great Fritz Pauer. The original compositions are very deep and will take you toanother level. At least that's where they took me. I felt myself being transported into another dimension with a feeling of not wanting to return. Karlheinz Miklin, saxes, Fritz Pauer, piano, Ewald Oberleitner, bass and Dusan Novakov, drums were the creators for this incredible journey. They become so strongly connected that at times it's like one sound coming from all four of them. I am willing to bet they had an out of body experience when they recorded this wonderful music. Hey, don't take my word for it, buy it and try it. I hope you get the same feeling that I experienced. Long Live Mark Murphy and his music. - Sheila Jordan (from the liner notes)
Reviews
For decades, the question What exactly is a jazz singer has had two easy answers: Betty Carter and Mark Murphy. --New York Post
'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 (jazz journalist)
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)