MURPHY

WILLIAM O. MURPHYTHIS IS THE OFFICIAL MYSPACE PAGE OF WILLIAM O. MURPHY!!!!!WILLIAM MURPHY (TEACHER, COPYIST, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST) IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ASSOCIATION WITH JAZZ GREATS SUCH AS TRUMPETEER EDDIE HENDERSON/ VOCALIST ANGELA STRIBLING & PIANO LEGEND AL TINNEY. IN MORE RECENT YEARS HAS RECORDED WITH FORMER AHMAD JAMAL BASS GREAT SABU ADEYOLA, SAXOPHONIST BOBBY MILITELLO, RAY MINGUS & THE 5TH ELEMENT AND THE GEORGE SCOTT BIG BAND.PRIOR TO MR. MURPHY GRADUATING FROM THE BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE WITH A B.A. IN MUSIC IN 2004; HE LIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA WORKING AND RECORDING WITH VARIOUS BANDS. THESE BANDS CONTAINED SOME EXPLOSIVE & EXTRAODRINARY TALENTS. TWO OF THE ARTISTS DURING THIS PERIOD WERE SAXOPHONE GURU JOE HENDERSON AND DRUMMER NORMAN CONNORS. BOTH ARTISTS INVITED MURPHY TO RECORD WITH THEM; A STUDIO ALBUM (LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS) W/JOE HENDERSON AND A LIVE LP (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) W/NORMAN CONNORS. AFTER TRAVELING ABROAD AND STUDYING WITH JOE HENDERSON; MURPHY FOUND HIMSELF IN BUFFALO, NY.WHILE LIVING IN BUFFALO, MURPHY FOUND WORK AS A MUSIC TEACHER AT THE LAST AND ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSICIANS’ CLUB LEFT IN AMERICA. THE COLORED MUSICIANS’ CLUB. THIS GAVE MURPHY THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY TEACH BUT LEARN AND BUILD HIS CRAFT AS A SAXOPHONIST. IT WAS HERE THAT HE STUDIED UNDER ELVIN SHEPERD (GROVER WASHINGTONS’ TEACHER). SHEPP, AS HE WAS ADMIRABLY CALLED; ENGRAVED SIGHT-READUNG INTO MURPHY AND MADE HIM VOW TO FURTHER HIS MUSIC EDUCATION WITH A DEGREE.WHILE COMPLETING HIS SCHOOLING, MURPHY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF STUDYING WITH THE LIKES OF CLARENCE LOTT (RASHAAN ROLAND KIRK) EDNA KEE AND DAVE SHCAIVONE (BOBBY MILITELLO QUARTET). MOST OF THEM WOULD SOON HIRE HIM FOR WORK.ALTHOUGH NEVER STARTING HIS BAND UNTIL RECENTLY, MURPHY WENT ON TO PLAY WITH VARIOUS LOCAL BANDS. HE PLAYED WITH PAPPY MARTINS’ LOVE SUPREME QUARTET WHILE FILLING 1ST CHAIR IN TWO BIG BANDS; IN ADDITION TO BEING A LOCAL COPYIST.MR. MURPHY IS STILL AND PRESENTLY TEACHING PIANO, FLUTE, ALTO, TENOR & SOPRANO SAXOPHONE AT THE HISTORICAL COLORED MUSICIANS’ CLUB LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN BFLO. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE MUSICIANS’ LOCAL UNION AND A BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE OF MUSIC ALUMNUS.MURPHY PLAYS LOCAL VENUES WITH HIS OWN QUARTET TRYING OUT NEW COMPOSITIONS THAT HE HAS WRITTEN FOR MAJOR ARTISTS. THE WILLIAM MURPHY QUARTET CONSISTS OF WILLIAM MURPHY - TENOR/SOPRANO SAXES/FLUTE** ODELL NORTHINGTON/ACOUSTIC BASS **GREG WEBSTER/DRUMS** BOB DAVIS/PIANO MURPHY ALSO TRAVELS WITH THE TORONTO-BASED JAZZ GROUP RAY MINGUS & THE 5TH ELEMENT AS LEAD HORN; PLAYING BOTH TENOR & SOPRANO SAXES. THE 5TH ELEMENT HOUSES SOME GREAT TALENTS SUCH AS RAY MINGUS/LADELL ABRAMS/WENDELL RIVERA/CHRIS ROO/ CORY BYRD/LARNELL “STIXX” LEWIS/COURTENAY FRASER /JAMES BRANDON LEWIS AND MANY, MANY OTHERS.OTHER RECORDINGS:DVD DOCUMENTARY FEATURING SABU ADEYOLA – AFRICAN AMERICAN CLASSICAL MUSIC** CHILDREN OF ARMAGEDON - W/ DWAYNE MUZICKI – ROBERSON** LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS - W/ EDDIE HENDERSON & BABUTUNDE** RAY MINGUS /MY FATHERS’ SON** OUIJI /THE WILLIAM MURPHY QUARTET**