Margaret Murphy

Music:

Member Since: 14/08/2007
Band Website: www.margaretcmurphy.com
Band Members: Me, my talented husband and whoever else wants to SWING!
Influences: Carmen Mcrae, Phyllis Hyman, Anita Baker, Nina Simone; I could go on and on and on......Frogger made by Neave Games f=http://www.allmyspacegraphics.com/index.html target="_self" ..

Sounds Like:I do the best I can to sound like ME....BUT I believe I hear a little bit of these divas influence when I listen to my recordings: Sarah, Betty, Carmen, Diane Reeves, Dee Bridgewater and Phyllis Hyman. Of course I can't forget the women that I would sneak into the clubs to see when I was underage....The great Paula Greer and Ms. Showmanship herself, Charlotte Foster. Mr. Chicago, the fantastic Lenny Lynn, taught me never to back down from musicians and drive the band with ENERGY! Last, but never least, I have to give one man praise and credit for teaching me how to command MY stage and that phrasing can take the same old song to new heights! THANKS VONSKI!
I'm Walkin"

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REVIEW OF "IN FULL BLOOM"
Inspired most by the musical men in her life – tenor saxophonist/mentor Von Freeman, and bassist, producer and husband Chuck Webb – vocalist Margaret Murphy has finally delivered her first “baby” and named it “In Full Bloom.” This 10-song collection celebrates everything from traditional New Orleans rhythms to romantic tales that, as the leader learned from “Vonski,” “tell a story with a song.” “In Full Bloom’s” strength is that it offers solid substance for the “jazz purist” and the rhythm and blues fan. The album begins with Webb’s walking bass line that is soon followed by Murphy’s voice – a dusky, confident instrument that reveals an excitement that is always controlled – on the Fats Domino standard “I’m Walkin.’ ” Here, drummer Charles Heath and pianist Miguel De La Cerna enhance the song’s bright, bouncy tempo, which serves as the leader’s call for everyone to drop the stress while she’s leading the band. Guitarist Peter Lerner then helps Murphy introduce “Misty.” After Murphy’s interpretation – tender and deliberate at first, before leaping out with understated urgency – Lerner delivers a lively solo that organist Michael Logan follows seamlessly. Murphy and Lerner conclude the song where they started, together, with the leader emphasizing “I’m in love” with a simplicity that reveals nothing but sincerity. Murphy and friends then embrace “I Got My Mojo Workin’. ” A duet, of sorts, between drummer Khari Parker’s second-line, New Orleans-flavored rhythms and Murphy’s voice makes this the collection’s most enjoyable, accessible track. Murphy later applies her interpretation to “Pearls,” co-written by Sade Adu and Andrew Hale. Here, her voice is accompanied by Webb’s electric bass. As Murphy’s voice paints a portrait about a lone/lonely woman “dying to survive,” Webb offers support that complements the song’s ethereal, poignant atmosphere. With one word, “Hallelujah,” Murphy sustains the closure for this song, the best feature for her voice and emotional range. For “Stolen Moments,” Murphy is joined by fellow vocalist Carolyn Whitfield. The two songstresses share and show their respective ranges, with Whitfield’s higher-pitched (but not high-pitched) range blending with, not below, Murphy’s slightly deeper delivery. Murphy begins “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man of Mine,” the closer, a cappella. She is soon joined by Logan, whose ability to support the song’s space and singer’s pacing within that space, reveals her true desire to please that man…and us as well. With “In Full Bloom,” Margaret Murphy has indeed heard and fulfilled Vonski’s two-word command – “Express yourself!” -- to her and everyone who enters his musical laboratory, wherever it may be. Twenty-plus years after joining Freeman’s “laboratory,” also known as The New Apartment Lounge, this student has produced a recording that shows she has listened, learned, and lived.-- Corey Hall
Record Label: Earthtone Enterprises (My Hubby's Label)
Type of Label: Indie