Mark Murphy
VARIETY
Monday, June 7, 1999
CONCERT REVIEWS
MARK MURPHY
Birdland in NYC
Piano, Joshua Wolfe;
bass, Steve LeSpina;
drums, Todd Eisler.
Reviewed June 4, 1999.By ROBERT L. DANIELS
In an all too infrequent Manhattan appearance, Mark Murphy, the quiet legend of jazz, opened a three-night Birdland stand that could easily be assessed as a master class in the rare art of jazz singing. He has amassed more than 40 albums in a near half-century, including his Grammy-nominated "Song For the Geese", composed some devilishly complex pieces, and written equally tricky lyrics. But Murphy has never enjoyed the visibility of a Mel Torme or Joe Williams. He has, however, received the acclaim of his peers and a fiercely devoted group of longtime fans.
Mr. Murphy avoids tradition in his daring and innovative approach to old standards. He takes Allie Wrubel's 60-year old torcher, "The Masquerade Is Over", at the dizzying pace of a runaway train, racing through the lyrics to reach an imaginative scatting chorus. His improvisational wordless phrasing not only swings with daring imagination, but he also invests it with a devilish sense of humor.
Murphy's romantic phrasing is pointed and cautious. Every word is carefully framed to underscore the heartbreak of a torchy Sinatra medley with "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and "I Get Along Without You Very well". The singer doesn't toss away words as mere stepping stones, but cradles them gently with emotional clarity. He even uses silence at the end of a song as a pregnant integral part of his statement.
Celebrating the Gershwin centennial-plus, Murphy whimsically throws away the verse to "How Long Has this Been Going On?" but captures the heartbreaks of its salty tears with a lazy wistfulness. Wry, subtle wit surfaces with a gutsy step-by-step accent to Gershwin's "I'll Build a Stairway to paradise". All that's missing is the top hat and tails. Embracing the soft romantic riches of Braziliana and the Antonio Carlos Jobim songbook, Murphy caressed "Dindi" and Wave" with tropic grandeur.
Murphy's zesty trademark swingers included "Charleston Alley" and Herbie Hancock's "Canteloupe Island" -- fiercely romping jazz studies in rhythmic vocalese.
Defining the fine art of jazz singing has always been a formidable task. Mark Murphy is a living textbook on the subject.
Mark Murphy Recordings
Jazz Standards
The Best of Mark Murphy
Stolen & Other Moments
Song For The Geese
September Ballads
That's How I Love The Blues
Rah!
Night Mood
Archive of previous featured singers
