True Blues Brother: The Legacy of Matt “Guitar” Murphy
This double feature 23-track homage to Matt “Guitar” Murphy would become Matt’s final project. The set was finished after main producer/drummer Bob Christina reached out to musicians (72 responded) who knew Matt.
This includes the Mississippi-born musician’s final 3 studio sets. Raised in Memphis & then in Chicago in 1948. He later appeared in The Blues Brothers film. His career started in the 1950s & working with Howlin’ Wolf, Little Junior Parker & Memphis Slim.
There are plenty of retro blues though these are all new performances on True Blues Brother: The Legacy of Matt “Guitar” Murphy (Drops June 21/Nola Blue Records/CD#1: 39:24/CD#2: 43:26). Several tunes while true in tradition are contemporary, rural & well-recorded (“I’m Lost Without You,” the hot rocking “Jack Rabbit Boy” — cousin to the Jimmy Reed 1959 blues standard “Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do?” & the superb Christine Ohlman take “Sugar On the Floor”).
Others are dipped in ’60s funk blues ala Sly & the Family Stone (“Something’s Got a Hold of Me”). The showcase has energy & its depth of grooviness. The approach has a vintage radiance & though few sound dated they’ve been produced with a deft hand. While not sounding antiquated they capture the ambience of old blues recordings effectively.
Tracy Nelson’s take on the Don Nix classic “Same Old Blues,” brings her hearty vocal to the well-defined arrangement. There are novelty thrusts, but there are respectfully driven songs with guitars, horns & harmonica channeling with a heavy cast of proficient musicians. Quite cool.
Highlights – “You Never Can Tell,” “Mother Earth,” “I’m Lost Without You,” “Something’s Got a Hold of Me,” “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” “Suffering Soul,” “Jack Rabbit Boy,” “Evil,” “Rocket 88,” “Sugar On the Floor,” “Same Old Blues” & “Tired of Sleeping Alone.”
Musicians – Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Ricky Russell, Neal Vitullo, Nick Adams, Bill Mills, Cliff Goodwin, Troy Mercy, Chris Leigh, Steve Cropper, Duke Robillard, Enrico Crivellaro, Ronnie Earl, Rob McNelly, Bob Margolin, Bill Kirchen, Mike Williams, Tom Ferraro & Chris Beard (guitars) with Scrappy Jud Newcomb (guitar/mandolin), Doyle Bramhall II (vocals/guitar/bass) & Joe Beard (vocals/guitar). Bob Worthington, Tommy Reed, Dean Cassell, Bruce Hughes, Brian Leach, Marty Ballou, Felton Crews & Tommy MacDonald (bass), Fran & Bob Christina, Tom Hambridge, Jaak Ahelik, Kenny Smith & Jaimoe (drums/vocals), The Mitchfest Horns: Dave Cafro (trumpet), Doc Chanonhouse (trumpet), Klem Klimek, Greg Piccolo, Collin Tilton, Paul Lieberman & Gordon Beadle (tenor sax), Bob Hassen & Doug James (baritone sax), Josh Kane (trombone), Richard Reed, Johnny Juxo, Rufus Davis, Anthony Farrell & Ron Levy (keys), Bruce Bears (organ), Kenny Wayne (vocals/piano), Mati Vaarmann (Hammond), Johnny Nicholas (vocals/piano), Al Copley & Chuck Leavell (piano), Danny Levin (fiddle), Jessica Mancuso (violin), Christine Ohlman, Tracy Nelson, Phil Diiorio, Toni Lynn Washington, Dave Howard, Brian Templeton, Lisa Marie, Craig Rawding, Nick David, Ricky Russell (vocals), James Montgomery, Jerry Portnoy, Billy Boy Arnold & Lee Oskar (harmonicas), The Refine Singers (Melody Forrest, Roslyn Cambell & Angel Cooper), Michelle Brett & DD Bastos (bgv).
B&W image courtesy of the True Blues Brother website. CD @ https://mattguitarmurphy.bandcamp.com/album/true-blues-brother-the-legacy-of-matt-guitar-murphy & https://bobbychristina.com/matt-guitar-murphy
