IN DEPTH BIOGRAPHY

 


Born: GRAND FALLS, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA

Studies: Brian is an “autodidact” - essentially self taught.

Formal Studies: Presentation Sisters/Trinity College (piano),

Raymond Alyward (clarinet, bass clarinet),

Ralph Gaulton (guitar), Tito Puente & Bobby Herriot (Arranging).

Canada Council Grants for studies in composition with Doug Riley and private studies of the music of Henry Cowell, Morton Subotnick and Terry Riley (sound composition/electronic music).

Private studies of arranging methods of Henry Mancini, Gordon Delamont, Don Sebesky and others.

                                                  KITE

    Brian Murphy, Ewen Newhook, Kevin Hoddinott, Mack Furlong

He created numerous CBC area radio broadcasts and recordings as the Brian Murphy Trio (Terry Burke & Paul Hennessey) (1970-1971)

TNT (Rock/ Blues band) Many concert performances. Self titled album brought excellent reviews and lasting acclaim.

(Denis Parker, Neil Bishop, Claude Caines, & Teddy McNeil)  (1975-1977)


HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

Pepe's Jazz Club, Privateer's Warehouse, The Pasta House and Whiskers with Rob McConnell, Guido Basso, Sam Noto, Peter Appleyard, Moe Koffman, Warren Chaisson, Doug Mallory, Bucky Adams, Dianne Brooks, Steve Kennedy  and many others.


Music Director - Digby Pines Resort Hotel (1977 & 1978)


Music Director - Theatre Productions:

Eight to the Bar (Neptune Theatre/Festival Lennoxville)

18 Wheels (Theatre New Brunswick)

Cocktails for 200/Magcap (Charlottetown Festival)

Rock 'n Roll (National Arts Centre) (1979-1981)


Guest soloist with Dalhousie University Jazz Orchestra

Lectures and Clinics at Dalhousie University and St. Francis Xavier University (1980-82)


Music Director/Pianist - numerous radio and TV productions. (1980-82)


Composed  original theme music for CBC Information Morning, recorded CBC album of original compositions

(Keith Jollimore, Don Palmer, Kevin Dean, Skip Beckwith

& Anil Sharma) (1982)

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TORONTO, ONTARIO

Eight months as music director with New Orleans Hall of Fame member Jodi Drake (vocalist) - Bellair Cafe (Yorkville)

(Marty Melanson, Dave Young, Roberto Occhipinti, Al Henderson, Joe Bendzsa, Barry Elmes, Bob McLaren & Norman Marshall Villeneuve) (1982-83)


Brian Murphy Quartet Maritime Tour (Nova Scotia/New Brunswick)  (Kirk MacDonald, Marty Melanson, Joe Bendzsa & Anil Sharma) (1983)

Performances/Recordings with Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Witherspoon, Clarence "Big" Miller, Don "D.T."  Thompson, Lorne Lofsky, Jerry Fuller, Neil Swainson, Woody Shaw, Ralph Bowen, Michael Stuart, Freda Payne, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Albert Collins, Jackie Richardson, Gerry Niewood, Dizzy Reece, Hugh Marsh, Henry Questa, Reg Schwager, Archie Alleyne, Eugene Amaro, Bruce Cockburn, Robbie Rox, William "Smitty" Smith, Molly Johnson, Steve Wallace, Kieran Overs, Claude Ranger, Jim Vivian and many others at DuMaurier Jazz Festival, Molson International Jazz Festival, Ontario Place, Gemini Awards,  Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Science Centre, University of Toronto, York University, University of Guelph, Norman Jewison Estate, Ontario Big Band Festival and venues Top of the Senator, Bermuda Onion, Bourbon Street, George's Spaghetti House, East 85th, Underground Railroad, Bluenote, Albert's Hall, Bamboo Club, Diamond Club &  Horseshoe (1983-1988) Charlottetown Festival Summer Season - Music Director Sleeping Arrangements (1985) Not Available in Stores/Are You Lonesome Tonight (1987) Alexandra the Last Empress and Encore (1988) In 1988 Brian performed with the great Tito Puente and they began a collaboration with Brian as arranger/pianist/keyboardist  in the creation of a number of successful recordings for the Concord Picante label that included GRAMMY AWARD winner, Goza Mi Timbal and a number of other successful recordings. Their friendship  and music together continued until Mr. Puente's passing in 2000. During this time Brian was also featured pianist with trumpet/flugelhorn star Guido Basso and his Orchestra and Quintet (Alex Dean, Scott Alexander, Brian Leonard (Barlow), performed at Jazz Festivals  in Europe and Canada with Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, and at the Royal York Hotel  and Old Mill with the Bobby Herriot Orchestra  (1987 - 1994)http://info.brianmurphymusic.com/brianmurphymusic.com/BT.htmlBT.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0

Concerts with Guido Basso            Special Tribute to Oscar Peterson

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KEY WEST, FLORIDA

The very first time that Brian performed with, jazz great, Ira Sullivan

was at Captain Hornblower's Jazz Club.

They formed a close musical and personal bond

that flourishes to this day.

Performances/Recordings  with  Cecil Brooks III, Carol Chaikin, Teddy Charles, Melody Cooper, Phil Flanigan,  Mike Gillis, Steve Gilmore, Pepito Hernandez, Lon Jacobson, Othello Molineaux, Yoshitaka Uematsu, Barry Ries,  Marty Stonely, Dave Valentin,  Guy Viveros and many others at Fantasy Fest,  Hemingway Days Festival, Key West Jazz Festival and Cayo Carnival....and venues:

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville,  Kelly McGillis' Caribbean Bar, Hotel La Concha,Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Centre, Green Parrot Bar, Schooner Wharf Bar, B.O.'s Fishwagon, Hog's Breath, Ricky's  Blue Heaven & The Bull  (1994 - 1997)

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MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA

After considering  invitations from Ira Sullivan and Othello Molineaux,

Brian relocated to Miami Beach.

   Ira Sullivan, Donna Blue MacDonald & Brian Murphy at MOCA



Since that time Othello and Brian have performed for the Ministry of Culture in Berlin, Germany and Ira and Brian were featured at the 2002 JVC Jazz Festival in Toronto where they received enthusiastic response and excellent reviews. A CD of these concerts is pending.

(1997 - present)



Brian currently resides in Miami Beach with his partner,

song stylist/actress/poet/photographer Donna Blue MacDonald

and Sagwa, their beautiful Siamese cat.

Miami has opened many doors which have enabled Brian to create increased global connections that keep him busy with a variety of recording and performance projects. Since his arrival in Miami, Brian has been associated as music director/accompanist with artists as diverse as Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D’Rivera, Tom Scott, Mark O’Connor, Kevin Mahogany, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, David Liebman, Bob Berg, Eddie Daniels, Plas Johnson, Wycliffe Gordon, Jackie Paris, Lucie Arnaz, Joe Donato, the South Florida Jazz Orchestra, Turk Mauro, Duffy Jackson, Engelbert Humperdinck, Jack Jones, Bernadette Peters, Julie Budd, Nigel Kennedy, Caroline Rocher, The Diamonds, Hal Linden, Regis Philbin, Susan Lucci and many others. Please click here for more pictures. For additional information, call (305) 864- 3170 You can e-mail Brian at: brian@brianmurphymusic.com © Brian Murphy 2003 - 2011http://info.brianmurphymusic.com/brianmurphymusic.com/BIOPIX.htmlmailto:brian@brianmurphymusic.comBIOPIX.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1

Music with my brothers!

Steve - Vocals, B.M. - Guitar

Rick - Piano, Philip -Trumpet

St. Michael’s High School Band

directed by Raymond Alyward

B.M. playing bass drum and leading the band!

My first gig. July 15, 1967

We rehearsed for 2 weeks and played a wedding.

(from left to right):

Dan Devine - Lead Guitar, Tony Wall - Vocals,

Warren Way - Drums, Cyril Devine - Rhythm Guitar

and B.M. - Bass.   Photo courtesy of D.L.  Dormody


During his teen years Brian played Organ, Piano and Keyboard Bass with various pop/rock groups including

The Growing Concern, (Ray Hanlon, Bruce Moss, Ted Lane & Wayne “Butch” Pinsent), Rock Pile (Ewen Newhook, Bruce Moss, Kevin Hoddinott, Ed Cater & Dave Hillier) and Kite (Kevin Hoddinott,

Ewen Newhook & Mack Furlong( (1968 - 1970)

                             THE GROWING CONCERN

Bruce Moss, Ray “Race” Hanlon, Wayne “Butch” Pinsent, Brian Murphy

Brian playing guitar                                      The Rock Pile Bus

Mom, playing Piano and Dad, playing Alto Sax with their orchestra in 1948!

You’re listening to “Lonesome Road” from “TNT”   Denis Parker - Guitar/Vox,

Neil Bishop - Lead Guitar/Vox, Claude Caines - Bass/Vox, Elaine Kilpatrick -Vox, Teddy McNeil - Drums, Brian Murphy - Rhodes Piano/Mini Moog/Vox  (1977)