For over 15 years, violinist and composer CHRIS MURPHY has been writing and performing his own style of instrumental music. His choice of material encompasses an incredibly eclectic range of musical styles from Electronica to Blues and Folk Rock to World Music. His passion to explore different genres brings to mind other talented and ambitious artists, Ry Cooder, David Bryne, Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, and Bill Frisell. "Prolific" is an adjective that easily describes Chris; he has 10 albums to his credit, including 5 recently released solo albums and has worked with a diverse group of artists including The Dandy Warhols, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Har Mar Superstar.
His willingness to move in and out of genres can be partly explained by the fact that Chris comes from the first generation of violinists and musicians influenced as much by electronically-produced music as live performance-based music. Chris explains, "My music has as much to do with the Velvet Underground and Massive Attack as it does with Django Reinhardt. I grew up in the suburbs of New York, not in the cotton fields of Louisiana, so it really started out as a middle-class kid's take on classical music, and because of that I was able to discover my own voice. I feel most comfortable in the indie world carving out my own path and style, rather than being limited to one genre."
Murphy's music swells and breathes, the mood can be haunting and pensive or exuberant and laid back. His newly-released album, 'On a Blue Afternoon', was inspired by the West Coast Cool Jazz of the 50's and 60's. It takes the listener back to a hotel lounge in Hermosa Beach on a sunny afternoon circa 1956. Meanwhile, his electronica/trance/hip hop inspired collection 'Salton Songs' would feel at home moving the masses on a DJ's turntables in London or New York. This is the beauty of Chris's music and a testament to his aesthetic that can transcend the boundaries of any given style while feeling right at home in the same moment.
Chris plays with a trio that recalls the sparse yet powerful sounds of the Sonny Rollins trio on the album 'Way out West', The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Medeski, Martin, and Wood, and Morphine. Some of Los Angeles's most talented musicians make up this trio including drummers DJ Bonebrake from the seminal LA's punk band X, Don Heffington (Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, Lone Justice), and Jimmy Paxson (Alanis Morrisette, Steve Vai, Sophie B. Hawkins). On bass he is joined by Dave Carpenter Jr. (Grant Lee Phillips, John Doe) and Hal Cragin (Iggy Pop, Rufus Wainwright, Sarah McLachlan).
2005 looks to be an exciting year for Chris as he promotes his recently released solo albums, while continuing to compose for film and television. His audience is rapidly expanding and keeping him busy playing an average of 20 shows a month. No stranger to the road; he has performed in over 40 US States, in England and Ireland, and has lived, worked, and studied in New York, Boston, Seattle, and his current home, Los Angeles. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass.
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