Mark Murphy - The Jazz Singer - Anthology: Muse Years

This Anthology includes 17 tracks from the sixteen albums he recorded for the label. It includes all of his great tracks including vocal versions of the Jazz classics, Oliver Nelson 'Stolen Moments', Freddie Hubbard 'On the Red Clay', Herbie Hancock 'Cantaloupe Island' and 'Maiden Voyage' , McCoy Tyner 'Effendi' and John Coltrane 'Naima', most of which he wrote the lyrics for. He also put beat poet Jack Kerouac's words to music for the track 'Be Bop Lives (Boplicity)' The Anthology also includes his interpretations of Brazilian songs 'Waters of March or 'Two Kites' written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and 'Empty Faces' co-written by Milton Nascimento. The more soulful side of Mark is illustrated by the Stevie Wonder song 'Looking for another pure love' and 'I Don't want to cry anymore'. His music was very popular on the London Jazz dance scene in the late 80's and 90's and still is today having been championed by Gilles Peterson and many other DJ's. The song he wrote about the scene 'Ding Walls ' is included, this being the first time that track has ever been released on Vinyl. It takes a very special singer to take a well known Beatles song and re-interpret it with a Big Band arrangement, and make it his own. This Anthology closes with what has to be one of finest Jazz Vocal versions from their entire songbook, his take on 'Eleanor Rigby' Record Label: Soul Brother Style: Jazz