Greg Murphy Trio - Bright Idea

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:14
Size: 174,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:24)  1. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (From "The New Moon")
(3:47)  2. Happy (From "Despicable Me 2")
(7:20)  3. Bright Idea
(6:27)  4. Earthlings
(2:42)  5. 24K Magic
(4:58)  6. Street Cats
(5:08)  7. Finer Things
(7:08)  8. For My Mom
(4:39)  9. Straight No Blues
(8:37) 10. Moving Violation
(6:09) 11. Well, of All Things
(6:36) 12. Untitled Original 11383
(4:13) 13. Juneteenth Notes

The truly bright idea on keyboardist Greg Murphy’s Bright Idea was to bring in drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. It isn’t just that Watts is a legendarily powerful player who, after making his name with the Marsalis brothers, went on to energize albums by Michael Brecker, Danilo Pérez, David Kikoski, and others; he also fits well with Eric Wheeler, Murphy’s regular bass player. Listen to the two work together on the album-opening “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise” and the chemistry is obvious. The modal variation Murphy devised for the tune’s minor-key groove gets turbocharged by Watt’s churning, Blakey-style polyrhythms. What could have come off as just a pleasant, hard-bop take on an old chestnut is not only sparked into life but made to sizzle. The best bits of Bright Idea follow suit, with Murphy’s workmanlike solos given a jolt of energy that lifts everything a notch higher. There’s a lovely swagger to their take on Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic,” while their reading of the recently discovered John Coltrane tune “Untitled Original 11383” is strong and convincing. Even the Pharrell Williams earworm “Happy” takes on heft thanks to the grounding Watts and Wheeler provide. ~ J.D. Considine https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/greg-murphy-trio-bright-idea/

Personnel:  Piano, Keyboards – Greg Murphy; Bass – Eric Wheeler; Drums – Jeff "Tain" Watts

Bright Idea

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Greg Murphy - Summer Breeze

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:20
Size: 167.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:02] 1. Solar
[6:51] 2. Sophisticated Lady
[6:36] 3. No One In Particular
[5:12] 4. A Reason To Smile
[8:45] 5. Cedar Salad
[5:05] 6. Fall
[5:55] 7. Expectations
[4:49] 8. Summer Breeze
[6:44] 9. Solid
[4:49] 10. Leo's Lullaby
[5:45] 11. Tsk
[7:40] 12. Suspended Time

Greg Murphy is a seasoned pianist and composer who has assembled a great team for this, his fourth CD as leader. It’s a mix of jazz compositions by outstanding artists as well as Murphy’s own well-honed compositions. Trio work includes bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Kush Abadey. Wheeler has recorded with vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and jazz musicians, among whom are, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller and Russell Malone. Drummer Abadey is in his early 20s but his resume is outstanding. He has recorded with Wallace Roney, attended Berklee School of Music and had recorded with Terrance Blanchard, Barry Harris and others.

Trumpeter Josh Evans joins the ensemble on most tunes and does an outstanding job. Corey Wilson joins on a Murphy composition, A Reason To Smile. Vocalist Malou Beauvoir is featured on A Reason to Smile, Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady and the Seals and Crofts composition, Summer Breeze. Besides those listed tunes, composition other than Murphy’s are Miles Davis’ Solar, Wayne Shorter’s Fall, Sonny Rollins’ Solid and Leo’s Lullaby by Scott Robert Avedon. The other six tunes, completing the dozen on the album, are Greg Murphy compositions.

To this reviewer, the smooth and tuneful execution and rhythmic piano suggest influence of George Shearing and Dave Brubeck. Well done, Greg Murphy. We look for your next output. ~F. Norman Vickers

Summer Breeze mc
Summer Breeze zippy

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Greg Murphy - Blues For Miles

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:51
Size: 164.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:32] 1. My Shining Hour
[4:43] 2. Easy To Remember
[7:06] 3. Half-Fulton
[5:31] 4. Nancy's Fantasy
[5:20] 5. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime
[8:25] 6. Blues For Miles
[3:12] 7. Earthlings
[0:10] 8. Split Second
[6:50] 9. Hat Trick
[4:57] 10. For My Mom
[3:27] 11. Blues For Miles (Alternate Take)
[4:27] 12. Blue In Green
[4:14] 13. Free Han Solo
[7:50] 14. Free Ur Mind

Greg Murphy - piano, Raphael Cruz - percussion, Kush Abadey - drums, Josh Evans - trumpet, Eric Wheeler - bass, Tom DiCarlo - bass, Ben Solomon - tenor sax.

Chicago native Greg Murphy has been a major contributor to the New York City jazz scene since the 1980s and he’s probably best known for his twenty-two year association with John Coltrane’s multidirectional drummer, Rashied Ali. Greg began his musical adventures in 1971 when he joined the Ray-Fisk Grammar School Band in Chicago. His classical studies began later that year with Lucia Santini at Roosevelt University. Between 1980 and 1984, he played with the jazz/funk band Lightning Flash Thunder Roar, The University of Illinois at Chicago Big Band, The Northern Illinois University Big Band, and other local Chicago bands. A jazz study grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984 gave Greg the opportunity to go to New Orleans and study with the eminent pianist and jazz educator, Ellis Marsalis. He remained there and began recording and performing with The New Orleans Jazz Couriers, Percussion Incorporated, and his own group, The Fusicians. The Percussion Incorporated album, Drum Talk, (Greg’s first recording) was recorded and released in 1987. While living in the crescent city, Greg performed with Donald Harrison, Wynton Marsalis, and countless other great musicians.

Greg moved to New York in 1987 and began what had become a long association with multi-directional drummer, Rashied Ali. Greg performed and recorded with Ali and his various groups throughout Europe, Canada, the United States and beyond, from 1987 until Rashied passed away in 2009. Throughout his career, Greg has performed in Japan, China and The Philippines with his own trio and other groups. He’s also worked in New York with Ornette Coleman and in France with Carlos Santana and Archie Shepp. In 2012, Greg recorded the theme song “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” for the HBO documentary Redemption, which was produced and directed by Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill. Redemption received a 2013 Academy Award nomination for best documentary short. Greg also performed with Jeff “Tain” Watts, Billy Hart, Arthur Taylor, Joe Lovano, Grachan Moncur, III, Christian McBride, Cindy Blackman, Flava Flav, Charles McPherson, Larry Ridley, William Parker and Charles Gayle, among many others.

Blues For Miles mc
Blues For Miles zippy

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