Mark Murphy

Biography

Mark Murphy was born on March 14, 1932, in Syracuse, New York, and raised in the small town of Fulton, NY, in a deeply musical household where both parents sang and opera was a regular presence. He began piano lessons at age seven and in his teens joined his brother Dwight's jazz dance band as lead vocalist, absorbing the styles of Peggy Lee, Nat "King" Cole, June Christy, Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, and pianist Art Tatum. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1953 with a degree in Music and Drama, where he was famously spotted singing at the Embassy Club by Sammy Davis Jr., who facilitated an introduction to TV host Steve Allen. Murphy signed with Decca Records and recorded his debut album Meet Mark Murphy in 1956, and by 1963 he had charted nationally with "Fly Me to the Moon" and was voted New Star of the Year in Down Beat's Readers Poll.

That same year Murphy relocated to London, where he found an enthusiastic European audience, became a fixture at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and made regular BBC Radio appearances. He was among the first American jazz singers to cultivate a major following in the UK, and his cult status there preceded wider recognition at home. Upon returning to the United States in the early 1970s, Murphy resumed recording prolifically, earning six Grammy nominations for Best Vocal Jazz Performance and winning Down Beat's Best Male Vocalist readers poll in 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001. His landmark 1961 album Rah! — featuring Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Blue Mitchell, and Wynton Kelly — showcased his virtuosic vocalese, setting original lyrics to pre-existing instrumental solos by artists like John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, and Oliver Nelson.

Murphy's style was omnivorous and uncategorizable: he drew equally from bebop, bossa nova, blues, Beat poetry, show tunes, and R&B, and was regarded as a supreme practitioner of both scat and vocalese. His willingness to expand the jazz vocal repertoire beyond the Great American Songbook — putting words to instrumental works like Coltrane's "Naima" and Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" — became a template for a generation of singers after him. He was the inaugural recipient of the Jazz Foundation of America / Jazz Journalists Association "Words and Music Award" in 2009. Murphy died in October 2015 at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy described by colleagues as transformative for vocal jazz.

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Fun Facts

• While still a student at Syracuse University in 1953, Murphy was spotted singing at the Embassy Club by Sammy Davis Jr., who personally invited him to guest at his own show and connected him with TV host Steve Allen — a chance encounter that launched his professional career.
• His 1961 album Rah! is considered a vocalese masterpiece; the sessions assembled an all-star cast including Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Wynton Kelly, Blue Mitchell, and Urbie Green — a remarkable lineup for a vocalist's record date.
• Murphy moved to London in 1963 and became a cult figure at Ronnie Scott's Club and on BBC Radio, cultivating a devoted European following years before he received comparable recognition in his homeland. He lived abroad for nearly a decade.
• He was the first-ever recipient of the 'Words and Music Award' jointly presented by the Jazz Foundation of America and the Jazz Journalists Association at the 2009 Jazz Awards, honoring his singular contributions to expanding the jazz vocal repertoire through original vocalese lyrics.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Peggy Lee - Early vocal influence absorbed in his teens
• Nat King Cole - Early stylistic influence on his vocal phrasing and delivery
• Ella Fitzgerald - Foundational influence on his jazz vocal approach
• Anita O'Day - Stylistic influence during his formative years
• Art Tatum - Key early influence; Murphy cited the pianist's harmonic ingenuity as formative
• Sammy Davis Jr. - Spotted Murphy at the Embassy Club in 1953 and helped connect him to TV host Steve Allen, launching his career

Key Collaborators

• Bill Evans - Appeared as accompanist on Murphy's landmark 1961 album Rah! (Rah! (1961))
• Clark Terry - Featured on Rah! alongside Murphy (Rah! (1961))
• Wynton Kelly - Pianist on the Rah! sessions (Rah! (1961))
• Blue Mitchell - Trumpeter featured on Rah! (Rah! (1961))
• Misha Piatigorsky - Pianist on Murphy's late-career album Never Let Me Go (Never Let Me Go)
• Gilles Peterson - UK DJ who championed Murphy's bop and Latin recordings at club nights, introducing him to a new generation of fans
• Five Corners Quintet - Modern Finnish jazz band that collaborated with Murphy in his later career

Artists Influenced

• Kurt Elling - Elling has explicitly cited Murphy as a primary influence on his jazz vocal style and vocalese approach
• Curtis Stigers - Named among vocalists profoundly shaped by Murphy's example
• Ian Shaw - British jazz vocalist who credited Murphy as a defining influence
• Tina May - UK jazz singer who Murphy directly influenced

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #jazz, #jazz-and-blues