Matt Guitar Murphy

Matt Guitar Murphy - Way Down South - 1990 - Antone's Records

The dazzling guitarist has recorded very sparingly as a leader over the course of his long career, preferring the relative anonymity of sideman duties behind Memphis Slim, James Cotton, and the Blues Brothers. But he acquits himself most competently here, mixing blues, funk, R&B, and a little jazz into his sparkling fretwork. His brother Floyd Murphy, a Memphis blues guitar legend himself, is on hand for a family reunion. © Bill Dahl © 2013 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/way-down-south-mw0000316803

Many people remember guitarist Matt Murphy as Aretha Franklin's henpecked husband in "The Blues Brothers", but Matt Guitar Murphy has been a major player on the blues circuit since the late 1940’s playing with artists like Howlin’ Wolf, Memphis Slim , James Cotton, Chuck Berry, Bobby Bland, and many more legendary blues artists. “Way Down South” has old-school, foot-tapping blues, with some great funk, jazz, and R&B touches. There are no guitar pyrotechnics here but there is a lot of nice laid-back, classy, strong, and clean playing by Matt Murphy with his brother Floyd on four tracks. Listen to Matt’s “Blues Don't Bother Me” album [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 89 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Way Down South - Matt Murphy 4:33
2. Big Six - Matt Murphy 4:48
3. Gonna Be Some Changes Made - Matt Murphy 3:18
4. Big City Takedown - Floyd Murphy 4:43
5. Buck's Boogie - Matt Murphy 4:28
6. Thump Tyme - Matt Murphy & Floyd Murphy 3:39
7. Matt's Guitar Boogie, No. 2 - Matt Murphy 3:10
8. Low Down and Dirty - Matt Murphy 5:19
9. Gimme Somma Dat - Matt Murphy 6:43
10. Blue Walls - Matt Murphy 6:11

MUSICIANS

Matt Murphy - Guitar, Vocals
Floyd Murphy - Guitar
Derek O’Brien - Rhythm Guitar
Russell Jackson - Bass Guitar
Eugene Carrier - Piano, Organ
Mel Brown - Piano
Tony Coleman - Drums
Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff - Saxophone
Chester King - Harmonica
Angela Strehli, Donna Pearl - Backing Vocals on Track 3

BIO

Probably best known for playing behind the Blues Brothers (and appearing prominently in their 1980 hit movie), Matt "Guitar" Murphy deserves enshrinement in the blues-guitar hall of fame anyway. His jazz-tinged, stunningly advanced riffing behind Memphis Slim elevated the towering pianist's 1950s output for United and Vee-Jay Records to new heights. Guitar playing ran in the Murphy household (which moved from Mississippi to Memphis when Matt was a toddler). Matt and his brother Floyd both made a name for themselves on the early-'50s Memphis scene (that's Floyd on Little Junior Parker & the Blue Flames' 1953 Sun waxings of "Feelin' Good" and "Mystery Train"). Matt played with Howlin' Wolf as early as 1948 (harpist Little Junior Parker was also in the band at the time). Murphy added hot licks to early sides by Parker and Bobby Bland for Modern before latching on with Memphis Slim's House Rockers in 1952. Normally, the veteran pianist eschewed guitarists altogether, but Murphy's talent was so prodigious that he made an exception. Murphy's consistently exciting guitar work graced Slim's United waxings from 1952-1954 and his 1958-1959 platters for Vee-Jay. Another solid Memphis Slim LP for Strand in 1961 and dates with Chuck Berry, Otis Rush, Sonny Boy Williamson, Etta James, and the Vibrations at Chess preceded Murphy's memorable appearance on the 1963 American Folk Blues Festival tour of Europe (along with Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Lonnie Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Victoria Spivey, and Willie Dixon). On that pioneering tour (promoted by Lippmann and Rau), Murphy commanded the spotlight with a thrilling "Matt's Guitar Boogie" that showcased his ultra-clean rapid-fire picking. Harpist James Cotton was the sweaty beneficiary of Murphy's prowess during much of the 1970s. Murphy's crisp picking matched Cotton's high-energy blowing on the harpist's 1974 Buddah album 100% Cotton (the guitarist penned a non-stop "Boogie Thing" for the set). From there, it was on to aiding and abetting John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's antic mugging, both on stage and in the Blues Brothers flick (where he played Aretha Franklin's guitarist hubby, convinced to come out of retirement by the boys in black). Murphy has toured as a bandleader in recent years, having recorded an album of his own in 1990, Way Down South, for Antone's (with brother Floyd on rhythm guitar). His repertoire encompasses blues, funk, jazz, R&B, and even a few of those Blues Brothers chestnuts (he usually carries someone in the entourage to sing 'em, Belushi-style). © Bill Dahl © 2013 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/matt-guitar-murphy-mn0000327100/biography