DISCOGRAPHY 
| Seven Crows SEVEN CROWS is Chris’ latest album. A mystical, brooding, romantic, sensual violin journey, recorded with only his electric violin, a looping machine and some cheap guitar pedals, Seven Crows is rich with layered violin fantasies, swirly bowed dreams, osinato plucked recipes and Chris’ lush garage rock string orchestration mining the emotional terrain of love, life and adventure. A fascinating 13 song album beautifully recorded and mixed by Colin Studybaker (Iron & Wine, Califone) and Erik Colvin, and produced by Kristian Dunn (Soft Lights, El Ten Eleven).Album Tracks: - Seven Crows
- On An Emotional Level
- Sun Full Of Skyrockets
- A Little Before Midnight,
Down By The Docks - Two Swords
- The Four Oaths
- Third Manifesto Of Surrealism
| - On The Twelfth Day
Of The Fifth Month - The Servant
- White Armor
- In The Eyes Of The Gods
- Thursday Afternoon
- Hidden Leaves
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| Luminous Chris’ latest ensemble record features collaborations
with John Doe & D.J. Bonebrake from X, Victoria Williams,
Tim Rutelli from Califone, Larry Taylor & Steven Hodges
from Tom Waits band, Nathan Larson, Nels Cline from Wilco.Album Tracks: - Waltz
- Blues For Bukowski
- Luminous
- December 12th 1968
- Night Of The Hunter
- Hyacinth
- The Return Of Queen Jane
- Sparks From The Wind
| - Farewell My Lovely
- The Rustling Of Flowers
- The Golden Horde
- Bear Cubs
- Gospel Music
- Skinny Ed
- Piston
- Richard Widmark
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| REVIEWS“I can’t imagine a more original and refreshing album.” –Kevin Ehlers
(The Pelican’s Perch 6/07) “Electric violinist Murphy said he wanted to do a really ‘L.A.’ record, and he totally overachieved.” –Nels Cline “Listeners who are fans of blues, rock, and electronica will certainly find tracks that will seduce them on this album.” | | “After spending a summer checking the GloNo mail box, I learned one thing: We sure get a lot of crap sent to us. It can be overwhelming looking through piles of mediocre CDs, but sometimes there is a gem or two to be found. Luminous was one of those gems. Purely instrumental, and yet never repetitive or boring, Murphy’s songs are joyous and celebratory. He has invited along some famous friends, including Nels Cline, Tim Rutilli and Victoria Williams to create an infectious sound that has a poetry all of its own. Often fine musicians ruin perfectly good tunes by putting stupid words to them. Murphy keeps his songs pure and that’s what makes this album so great.” |
| Falling Sky by
BEASTS OF FABULOUS ELEGANCE A new violin/drums duo project with punk rock legend D.J. Bonebrake.Album Tracks: - Beasts Of Fabulous Elegance
- Hawley’s Leaving Town
- Bare Knuckle Boxing
- Andre Breton
- Love Is A Dog From Hell
- Wander Beyond
The Four Seas
| - Our Lady Of Angels
- The Gilded Wave
(for Micky Dora) - Insurrection
- Faith Of Pioneers
- The Starry Transmission
- Muscle Cars
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| REVIEW“Like lightning cracking down from the clouds, Chris Murphy’s knife-edged electric violin sends bolts of distorted melody into the scorched, earthy drumwork of X’s DJ Bonebrake on this remarkable debut album, Falling Sky.While music fans will find plenty to absorb them in this bare-knuckle four-string collection, it’s no violin purist’s cup of tea: instead, it’s scrappy, guitar-like sonics and street-schooled rhythms that define this 12 song set. Two L.A. iconoclasts, Murphy and Bonebrake, create an alternating current of virtuosic, high-wire tension that breaks open new vistas in alternative instrumental music.” –James Rotondi,
November 2006, NYC  |
| Broken Wheel Mississippi Mud meets sweaty Chicago in an all-night juke joint
jumping with despair, distortion and jesus.Album Tracks: - Butterfly Blues
- Broken Wheel
- Cherry Wine
- Southside Willy
- Bourbon and Water
- Jelly Roll’s Last Stomp
- Boomer’s Blues
- Ring-A-Ding
| - Lonely By Day, Lonely By Night
- Crawfish Pie
- Going Back to Mobile
- Salt Pork
- Lazy Lester & The Two Scoops Kid
- Powered By Steam
- Hard Station
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REVIEWS“His electric violin sounds like a captivating combination of harmonica and slide guitar... fans of good music in general, will enjoy giving this disc a spin.” “As I said before it’s like nothing else I have heard... Chris jumps in, the beat just keeps going as if it won’t ever quit... to quote Jessie Mae, ‘It will make you want to dance on one leg.’” “He looks to a brave new world for violin-based blues... His playing should appeal to contemporary fans without alienating traditionalists.” –Blues Revue Magazine |
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Juniper
10 Bowfire, heart-pumping bluegrass,
celtic, bayou, drinks for everyone,
you’re-gonna-get-hurt fiddle tunes.
Tracks:
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1. Into the Wild
4. Sackcloth & Ashes
6. Deep River
7. El Diablo
8. Knots and Crosses
9. Juniper
10. I’m Nobody’s Sweetheart Now
11. Peppermint Polka
12. Dandelion Rag
13. Cora Street
14. Jig/Reel
15. Thanksgiving
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REVIEWS“He rips through his fiddle with such energetic sounds capable of giving any square dancer a heart attack on the dance floor and then reviving them long enough to twirl around for more.” –Jason Terrill, Folkwax “I can almost see the fire flying from his fingertips on these 15 original instrumentals that are filled with emotional electricity... I hear influences of Celtic, old-time, bluegrass and jazz in his music, and he demonstrates a technical mastery of his fiddle.” –Joe Ross, Bluegrass Works “Chris Murphy has got to be one on the best Violin/Fiddle masters that has walked this earth. And his new CD release Juniper Fiddle Music is a screaming testament to this fact – 5 STARS.”“But Chris Murphy makes me a believer again. Chris plays anything: Celtic music, cajun, old-time, bluegrass, jazz and rock. He plays his electric violin through a guitar amp, sometimes sounding like a harmonica or a slide guitar, and is supported by a tight rhythm section. Excellent! Great folk rock album!” |
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Noir
A documentation of Chris’ solo violin show,
includes his innovative and orignal use of loops
and electronics. Spans the globe stylistically
from classical to folk to ambient soundscapes.
Tracks:
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3. Cafe Noir
4. Filbert’s Rag
5. Coffee and Candles |
7. Time Is An Ocean 8. Eddie’s Mambo
9. Gospel Song
10. Moonlight Waltz
11. Grand Hotel
12. Arabesque
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REVIEWS“Noir features Murphy unaccompanied... exotic and international... without ever falling into pretension or tedium. Pretty cool.” –Michael Toland, High Bias “Lent atmosphere and mystery by an electronic accompaniment... It has that touching and penetrating sadness that derives from Celtic and early American folk fiddle music at its least affected.” –Rob Burnett, Music Web International “You have to be very brave to record an album of solo violin. Chris Murphy does it on Noir and pulls it off... The result is a captivating set of melodic and atmospheric pieces.” –Angel Romero, World Music Central |
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Salton Songs
Moody, expansive, techno, electronic,
trance, world music, violin loneliness,
and love songs.
Tracks:
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1. Shallow Water
2. The Sheltering Sky
6. Titanium
7. Reactor
8. Salton Song
9. Atomic Player
10. Lions Sleeping
11. Laughing Hands
12. Coco’s Lament
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REVIEWS“Violinist Chris Murphy has been honing his diverse instrumental composition skills for over fifteen years, and his experience certainly plays into the success of Salton Songs.” –Brad Miller, Urb.net “What keeps the listener’s attention throughout is Mr. Murphy’s magic violin. I say ‘magic’ because of the number of different and crazy sounds that are emitted from that thing...” –Jambase “ Salton Songs sure is one of the more interesting, albeit unusual, albums to have come my way recently. Those who like their music lively and enjoy aspects of world music coupled with modern treatments might want to give it a try.”–Dene Bebbington, Wind and Wire, Melliflua |
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On A Blue Afternoon
Chris’ jazz & swing concept album paying
tribute to Chet Baker, Stephan Grappelli,
Jean-Luc Ponty, Stuff Smith and Billie Holiday.
Tracks:
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4. Renaldo’s Tune
5. On A Blue Afternoon
6. Laguna Canyon
7. La Boheme
8. Violin Improvisation #1
9. Vermouth Blues
10. I’ll Remember
11. Violin Improvisations #2
12. All Your Goodbyes
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REVIEWS“...the essence of what quality sounding jazz music should be about. Without a doubt, the recording is worth every note of conveyance.” –Sheldon T. Nunn, Jazz Review “A very original sound... a creative merge of traditional jazz and bluegrass... the songs seem to speak without words.” –Robin Bacior, 6/27/05,
Synthesis Magazine “Symbolic creativity emanates from this CD... Set sail for memorable horizons of progressive jazz when you encounter this listening experience.” –Jazz Exodus |
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Cotton Diesel
A raging, blasting, bleeding old time, would-you-like-to-dance,
moonshine meets county-line celtic music session.
Tracks:
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2. Red Light Falling
3. The Hardest Part
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6. Creole Fantasie Two-Step
7. Cool Drink Of Water
8. The Open Road
9. Angel In My Eye
10. Napoleon
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The Escape Artist
Jazz, swing, ragtime, gypsy, and klezmer music
meet at a speakeasy for an after-hours party.
Tracks:
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3. Woman On My Mind
4. Find A Way
5. Call It Quits
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6. This Part Of Town
7. Shooting Star
8. Amaretto Waltz
9. Two Guitars
10. Too Dark To See
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Dark Skies
Dubbed a "lo-fi masterpiece," recorded by
Chris Murphy on their first tour, Fall 1999.
Tracks:
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1. Heartbreak
2. Thief
3. Shining Through
4. Long Hot Night
5. I Wouldn’t Trade A Thing
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6. Where Did You Go?
7. Dark Skies
8. Black Dirt
9. World Don’t Stand Still
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Down Like Mercury
Produced and recorded in Portland, Oregon
by Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, Dandy Warhols).
Our attempt at indie pop music with vocals.
Tracks:
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1. Heat Into Light
2. Straight Into The Sun
3. Wandering Blues
4. Hoping To Find
5. Perfectly Divine
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6. Long Way From Anywhere
7. Paper Bird/Bugs DeVille
8. No Getting Around It /
Sketches of Stains 9. No Place To Be
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DAVID ANDREWS /
Get Me Out Of This Place
Chris plays fiddle and mandolin on this Portland,
Oregon singer-songwriter’s album.
Tracks:
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1. Runnin’ Away Again
2. Get Me Out Of This Place
3. Mistress Of The Moon
4. 2,000 Miles
5. I Believe
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6. Ballad Of The Sad Cafe
7. The Wedding Song
8. The Little Things
9. Make Me Happy
10. Stitched In Wool
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OTHER RECORDING CREDITS
Warner Bros.
4/04 Har Mar Superstar |
Independent Artists
4/04 Heather Haden
3/04 Willie Hereth
9/03 Gina Villalobos and the Lo-Beams
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Blue Note Records
2/03 Adam Cohen |
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Columbia Records
4/02 Sophie B. Hawkins |
Sideburn Records
8/01 CountryPolitans |
Capitol Records
6/01 Dandy Warhols |
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