The title is misleading; this is, in fact, very recent Murphy. Throughout his 30 plus years singing jazz, he has always displayed a maturity of sound and interpretation. On this new album those qualities are still very much in evidence and he approaches all these songs with wit and understanding and where appropriate with breathtaking gusto.
The choice of songs is especially good, mixing standards with jazz tunes such as Ralph Burns’s Early Autumn, Mingus’s Ellington and Corea’s Without Form, to which Murphy has contributed lyrics.
The opening track is a rip-roaring performance guaranteed to grab and hold attention. Elsewhere, there are eloquent ballads, the Mingus song, Waterfront and Bob Dorough’s Stealthy Fingers, while this version of Matt Dennis’s Everything Happens To Me is a joy. The closer is given a Latin American setting and goes a long way to proving wrong those people (like me) who think that Richard Rodgers with Hammerstein was unsuitable for jazzmen.
The supporting musicians, all German and known collectively as the Nine Piece Band, do what is required of them with nice solo spots throughout. The rhythm section cooks well on the uptempo tracks although I found some of the slow tempo drumming a shade distracting. However, it is Murphy’s show and he gives it all he has got – which is quite a lot. His voice here is in extremely good shape, tough and sinewy, full and flexible.
This is a very good, well-recorded set and strongly recommended. A word of warning to dee-jays and those of a nervous disposition; just before the opening track the singer makes a remark to the assembled musicians which includes a naughty word.
Discography
(3) The Song Is You; (1) Early Autumn; A Sleepin’ Bee; Without Form; I’m All Smiles; Duke Ellington’s Sound Of Love; (2) Love Came On Stealthy Fingers; (1) I Cover The Waterfront; Very Early; Everything Happens To Me; (2) Hello Young Lovers (57.50)
Murphy (v) with: (1) Andreas Pesendorfer, Oliver Groenewald (t, flh); Michael Berbaur (tb); Marko Lackner (as, ss); Klemens Pliem (ts, f); Thomas Rottleuthner (bar, bcl); Emil Spanyi (p); Thorsten Zimmermann (b); Franz Trattner (d). (2) as (1) add Ewald Gaulhofer (pc). (3) as (2) add Steve Gut (t). Klagenfurt, Germany, 1993.
BMG CD 220 022-2