Born: January 25, 1949 Primary Instrument: Drums
Truly a master improviser, Paul was a child prodigy drummer by the age of 7. He studied with Joseph Leavitt, the director of percussion at the Peabody Conservatory of music.
By the age of 11, his musical training was further enhanced by attending seminars conducted by the legendary Louie Bellson, soon becoming a student and protégé of Gene Krupa. By the age of 16 he was working with Duke Ellington’s Bassist Billy Taylor. Paul played on the jazz/blues circuit for years before he moved to the west coast and became one of the original innovators of Avant-Garde Jazz in California’s San Francisco Bay area.
In 1974 the legendary Jimmy Lyons heard Paul playing at a club in San Francisco and asked him to come to New York and play the jazz scene there. For the next 12 years he played, recorded, and toured the USA & Europe with Mr. Lyons’ ground breaking group while maintaining his own fabulously talented quintet. The members included trumpet player Dewey Johnson, Jay Oliver on Bass, Karen Borca, and Mary Anne Driscoll.
Paul has continued recording free jazz duo sessions with Larry Willis. Playing in a more straight ahead vein, Paul has done Mapleshade sessions with Clifford Jordan, Ran Blake and Larry Willis plus a number of blues and soul sessions. His latest recordings 'Break Away' , 'Excursions' and 'Exposé' will astound Jazz aficionados with the high-end high energy fusion principals of Bebop and Avant-Garde Jazz.
Check out www.paulFmurphy.com for more on Paul... past, present & future. Articles, reviews, stories, links to his music, videos, fellow artist & more.
”An arch colorist and master of percussive texture . . . “ ~Derek Taylor
”A real powerhouse of innovation, energy and depth . . .” ~Henry Rollins
