Orla Murphy

TO BUY ORLA MURPHY'S DEBUT ALBUM 'WISHFUL THINKING' (2007) CLICK ON THE ALBUM COVER ABOVE - £12.00 (inclu. p&p)"The first thing that strikes you when listening to this debut album from Belfast-born, London-based Vocalist Orla Murphy is her lustrous timbre. Sounding like the forgotten lovechild of Joni Mitchell and Terry Callier - seamlessly combining the liquid phrasing of the former with the soulful sonorities of the latter - Murphy's captivating tone really draws the listener into the song. It comes as no surprise when she dusts down Mitchell's 'Be Cool' midway through the set. The 11-track collection is nicely balanced, from the full quartet textures of 'One for my Baby (And One More For The Road)' to the stripped down voice/bass duet 'The Old Country', in which Murphy's great feel and time come strongly to the fore. Also including an intimate cover of Sting's 'Fragile' with guitarist Ping Lee, an impassioned 'Make Sure Your Sure' (one of Stevie Wonder's standout songs penned for Spike Lee's, Jungle Fever) with pianist Simon Wallace, a nicely languorous 'I've Gotta Right To Sing The Blues' and a gently swinging 'Whisper Not'. This impressive debut should help to put this affecting singer well and truly on the map. PETER QUINN, JAZZWISE, (October 2007).''We wandered into the National Portrait Gallery recently, and stumbled on an excellent new singer, Orla Murphy, and Jonathan Gee's fine trio with Julie Walkington and Winston Clifford. Never know your luck with this place...Someone there knows what's what.'' JAZZ UK (Issue 74, March/April 2007)."Orla Murphy has a voice as warm, lyrical and expressive - as she is herself." TINA MAY, Jazz Vocalist & Director of the Loire Vocal Jazz Summer School.Orla Murphy has been performing on the London jazz scene for the last few years and works with a range of highly regarded UK-based jazz musicians at various notable jazz and music venues all over London; as well as performances throughout the UK, Italy, Ireland and Scotland.Notable performances over the last year include: the National Portrait Gallery in London (Jan ’07), the Jazz Bar in Edinburgh (April ‘07), the Derry Jazz & Big Band Festival in Northern Ireland (May ’07), the Glasgow International Jazz Festival (June '07) and Swansea Jazzland, Wales (July '07). All performances were very well received, particularly at Swansea Jazzland where Orla received a standing ovation!In 2005 and 2006 Orla performed with two of Europe's leading contemporary jazz guitarists, notably Sandro Gibellini in Certaldo, Italy (August 2005) and again with him as part of his north-west tour of Ireland in Sligo (February 2006); and with Mike Nielsen at the Sligo Jazz Festival, Ireland (October 2005).Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Orla became involved in an influential jazz scene in Belfast when she returned to the city in June 1993, upon graduating from Newcastle University. Her brother opened a unique music venue in her father's bar called 'The Bridge', which played host to local, national and international jazz musicians such as Mike Nielsen, Paul Dunmall, Jean Touissant and Hugh Fraser. It was around this time that her love of jazz began and so too her quest to pursue a career as a Jazz Vocalist.Orla has completed various jazz and soul singing courses at the City Literary Institute and at Morley College in London. She has also completed various intensive residential jazz vocal workshops in the UK, France, Italy and Ireland, where she received tuition by such inspirational Jazz Vocalists as Claire Martin, Tina May, Anita Wardell, Jay Clayton and Marianne Racine.