It's almost impossible to not like the affable Murphy Lee (aka da Skool Boy). On his debut solo album, Murphy's Law, you can't say he's fired a blank, although Lee is probably best suited to the guest spots and supporting roles that helped pave the way for this. In lead single "What da Hook Gon Be," Lee boasts that he's skilled enough to not need a hook. Adding profit potential is the reappearance of "Shake Ya Tailfeather," the collaboration with P. Diddy and Nelly that managed t...   [ read more ]

CD $13.25

The complete recordings of Jimmy Murphy for RCA and Columbia Records, strangely enough assembled far out of sequence, although one can sequence the songs properly on one's player. The sound is raw and usually pretty bluesy, with Murphy's lively acoustic guitar playing sparking all of it. The subjects and sentiments are a strange mix of contemporary pop culture and what were already dated notions of religion and morality (after all, the Rural Electrification Act had pretty well removed the wonder, if ...   [ read more ]

CD $21.83

This highly enjoyable Dixieland CD reissues all of the music from the earlier Merry Maker LP, Turk Murphy's San Francisco Jazz Band, and seven of the dozen selections (leaving out four vocals plus "Harlem Rag") from Vol. 2. Trombonist Murphy's group made very few recordings during the 1960s (their music was considered out of style), but fortunately was better-documented during the following decade. His sextet (featuring the powerful cornetist Leon Oakley, clarinetist Phil Howe, pian...   [ read more ]

CD $16.13