“...his name sounds like he should be running a Chevrolet dealership in Hogeye, Arkansas, but Bill Purdy is actually a damn fine singer/songwriter…The EP offers a seamless blend of soulful ballads and breezy up-tempo numbers, all of them anchored by Purdy’s keys – he plays piano, Wurlitzer, and B-3 here – and sandpaper-coated-in-honey vocals. The songs are catchy, a little bit funky, and as warm as a Memphis night in July. Get busy with that full-length follow-up, please.â€
4/5 stars
- Jeff Giles, July 2008, Eat Sleep Drink Music (ESDmusic.com)
BIO:
Los Angeles-based keyboardist, writer and singer Bill Purdy's debut EP "MOVE MY WAY" (2008) is a unique blend of pop, rock & soul music. Self-produced and recorded with a cast of friends and family, MOVE MY WAY's grooves are like your favorite old t-shirt - stanky, funky, comfortable - familiar. The strut of New Orleans, the grits of Memphis, and the sway of the Caribbean all weave their way in and out of MOVE MY WAY - a 5-song snapshot of Bill's uniquely soulful take on longing, love and loss.
So how did it all happen? As a 'wee lad in Oklahoma, Bill dutifully took piano lessons from the neighborhood teacher, but was raised on a steady diet of his father's country music of Willie Nelson and Earl Scruggs. By 8th grade his best friend and fellow pianist played him a solo piano rendition of Jim Croce's 'Bad Bad Leroy Brown', permanently opening the door to blues & soul music. By high school he was obsessing on Van Morrison, Professor Longhair, Jimmy Smith, and a few years on the Gulf Coast of Florida led to to the wonderful discovery of Cuban and Jamaican music.
Ultimately landing in California, Bill initially cut his teeth playing in the local Los Angeles ska & reggae scenes, and has had the honor of backing old-school reggae legends such as The Ethiopians, Ken Boothe, Dennis Alcapone, The Maytones, Stranger Cole and Derrick Morgan as well as membership in local band OCEAN 11. The infamous chicken-fried Monday-night blues jams at South Central LA's Babe & Ricky's Inn led to stints with the deeply soulful SHAWN BARRY (check him out) ZAC HARMON, and the hard-rockin' FORTY-FOURS, with the amazing Johnny Main on lead guitar. In addition to his solo work, Bill also currently leads steady-giggin' THE BOOGALOO ASSASSINS, a loving tribute to the great latin boogaloo/salsa sound of New York in the late 60's.
Feel free to message me be to put on mailing list for upcoming shows and related news.
MUSIC AVAILABLE AT:
AMAZON.COM
CDBABY
