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2025 RECAP

I love writing, recording, and performing live...

2025 was another monumental year for me as a musician. I performed 100+ dates for the third year in a row, generating greater audience awareness, and I expanded the number of quality venues in which I perform. NOTE: Nearly all of my music is available on Spotify, Apple Music and everywhere else. RECORDING UPDATE: After having completed my Spanish/English project, Canciones de Amor (Songs of Love), with Mexican vocalist Joshua Lucero, you can learn more by clicking here, I then ignored an already in production project, The Avocado Sessions Part Three, and began work on, and completed my 2nd jazz instrumental project, Sunday Morning. I named it Sunday Morning because I listened to the final mix one Sunday morning and it fit the new day perfectly. You can find out more by scrolling down. I then worked on and completed Simply Beautiful with Aisha Pontre and Friends, also on this page. It is my finest work ever. Then, finally, I completed The Avocado Sessions Part Three - Bits and Pieces. This was released in January 2026. More on Part Three if you click here and scroll down a bit. A lot of incredible things are happening. Going back to early 2025, a surprise project that I discovered was a 2018 live recording from El Paso's Black Orchid Lounge featuring bassist Curt Bushaw and myself. This CD is available now by clicking here and scrolling down. Visit my store while you are at it. You can listen to everything without making a purchase.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone..

Simply Beautiful

Simply Beautiful with Aisha Pontré and Friends

James Robert Murphy

Simply Beautiful has been in the project shed for quite some time. Decades actually. While I have completed recent albums like the jazz instrumental Sunday Morning, Live at The Black Orchid Lounge, Live at Shifty's, and Read more

Simply Beautiful has been in the project shed for quite some time. Decades actually. While I have completed recent albums like the jazz instrumental Sunday Morning, Live at The Black Orchid Lounge, Live at Shifty's, and my Spanish project, Canciones de Amor (Songs of Love), Simply Beautiful is special, and I want your opinion. It is a jazz-flavored CD mainly featuring French vocalist Aisha Pontré and a couple of close friends, Colette Laurent and Claire Moreau. The lyrics consist of poems from my book, Poetry from a Road Scholar. The music was carefully crafted through a variety of available resources. The words, some of which were written when I was a young man in the 1970s and 80s, have been rewritten from a man's to a woman's point of view (and are included). For instance, from my point of view, I would say 'she' did this or that. Now, from her point of view, 'she' has been changed to 'he'. Nothing too dramatic. Why would I do this? It was on a whim at first, but when I heard the lyrics from the woman's point of view, they seemed even stronger. I believe most women also experience these deep feelings regarding their past relationships. I think my experiment truly works......and I want your opinion. If you can Bluetooth Simply Beautiful to your stereo system or other listening device, I believe you will enjoy it musically and vocally, and I hope you can relate to the lyrics as well. Of course, you can also listen to it on your phone, computer or whatever. I really appreciate you taking the time to listen and to comment. You don't have to purchase anything to listen. Email me at jfrmurphy@gmail.com with your critique. Thank you very much. Jim

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    Break My Heart 3:35
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    One More Time 3:55
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    By The Water 2:46
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    I Can't Keep Coming Home 3:38
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    Man in this World 3:10
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    There's Been Some Mistake Here 3:59
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    Little Does He Know 4:31
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    Vanishing Affair 3:04
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    Wine and Roses 4:19
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    Riding on a Wave 3:57
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Sunday Morning

James Robert Murphy

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Welcome to my latest and second instrumental album, Sunday Morning. The name? Early one Sunday morning, not too long ago, I was making coffee and decided to give these cuts a spin. And while originally called Funky Blue, Read more

Welcome to my latest and second instrumental album, Sunday Morning. The name? Early one Sunday morning, not too long ago, I was making coffee and decided to give these cuts a spin. And while originally called Funky Blue, I immediately realized that Sunday Morning was filled with songs that gently woke me up. It’s a beauty. It consists of eight original compositions, all named after streets and avenues that have played a role in my life. 1) Salina Street is the main road that travels through Nedrow, NY, the little town on the southern border of Syracuse, where I grew up. It’s a funky, easy-going downtown groove. I like it. 2) Riverside Drive is in El Paso, TX, where my wife was raised. It has a smooth samba beat that allowed me to explore my guitar neck a bit more than I usually do. 3) South Onondaga Road (Rt. 80) runs from my little town of Nedrow out to South Onondaga, where I went to high school. This song reminds me of the area's many corn fields, apple orchards, creeks, and lakes. It is a great driving-your-automobile song. 4) Brae Burn Lane is my favorite street in Nedrow, and if I ever move back, I would want to live in one of the five houses on this street, preferably the one on the top left side. I put this piece together like, “right now”! I just wrapped it up. 5) Lakehurst Drive is the street where I was born, in Auburn, NY. It is a smooth jazz composition that feels like small-town Central New York. I really enjoyed opening up during this cut. 6) Elton Avenue is in Nedrow as well. My first wife lived on this street, and a few old friends did as well. When I visit Nedrow I stay on Elton Ave with my friend Lynn. This is a really nice Latin-flavored song. It is certainly one of my favorites. I normally open with this song. 7) The State Street Shuffle is named after a rough and tumble part of Syracuse. At least it used to be. It has that bluesy, funky thing going on like State Street did back in its heyday. 8) 211 Thompson Road. is the house number and street in Nedrow where I grew up - right behind the firehouse. This song is a revision of the A.J. Shuffle released previously on my A History of Blues box set. The opening theme is the same, but that’s about it. It’s a swinging little rockabilly number to wrap things up. Who performed: Gary Michaels on bass, John Francis on drums, Ian James on percussion, and Robert Francis on keys.

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    Salina Street 4:23
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    Riverside Drive 4:36
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    South Onondaga Road 5:39
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    Brae Burn Lane 4:37
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    Lakehurst Drive 5:35
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    Elton Avenue 3:39
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    State Street Shuffle 4:05
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    211 Thompson Road 4:21
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NEW RELEASE!!! Live at Shifty's

Featuring Austin Jimmy Murphy, Pat DeSalvo, Garnet Grimm, and Scott Ebner. Click on the photo to listen to the tracks.

Is it raw? To say the least. Is it a loose jam session? Uh ... yes. Is the recording as pure as the driven snow? Not even close. Live at Shifty's was recorded in Syracuse, NY in 2011 on the spur of the moment by long-time doorman Bill Scheutzow (RIP). I had moved to El Paso, TX in 2004 and on occasion would return to my home turf for fun and games and even some music once in a while. I was very lucky this time because I was able to hook up with bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm; both of who had been touring with Savoy Brown's main man, Kim Simmonds. And then multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter Scott Ebner joined in. We practiced once at Scott's place and went to Shity's soon thereafter. It was a roof-raising experience. To repeat myself ... Is it raw? To say the least. Is it a loose jam session? Uh ... yes. Is the recording as pure as the driven snow? Not even close. We had to make it through four hours! Anyway, It was a true honor to play with these fellow musicians. More than likely it will never happen again. 

Live from THE BLACK ORCHID LOUNGE in El Paso, TX

You can LISTEN by clicking on the CD cover. AVAILABLE NOW for purchase by clicking the CD cover AND available by visiting Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, and Deezer.

I stumbled upon this live 2018 recording in late 2024. The Black Orchid Lounge was a quaint little jazz/folk venue on the west side tucked into a strip mall. The owner, Michelle Fierro, was very accommodating. It was ‘the’ cool place to gig. I think Covid brought on its unfortunate demise. The ‘shaker’ you hear now and then is a drink being mixed at the bar. This recording is unfiltered. Is it perfect? Yes, sort of. I’m glad I found it. A very heartfelt thank you to Curt Bushaw. As a songwriter, it’s not easy to find musicians that not only take the time to learn your material, but greatly enhance it. Curt is one of those musicians. On a final note, I’m not fond of listening to myself perform live, but listening back through this session, Curt and I were locked into some pretty good grooves. I hope you like it. It features Lowell Fulson's  Reconsider Baby, Big Joe Williams' Baby Please Don't Go, Little Walter's Everything's Going To Be Alright, Louie Jordan's Caledonia, and four of my original cuts, The Funky Thing, Hello, When The Morning Comes, and My Baby Says She Loves Me.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Eight Compassionate Love Songs Performed in Spanish and English. (16 songs in all.)

A beautiful collaboration between composer James Robert Murphy and vocalist Joshua Lucero. A "must-have" to add to your collection.

Click here!

BLUES SALAD, Part One - The Avocado Sessions is now available.

Featuring select cuts from my award-winning 4-CD box set, A History of Blues. Available Now by clicking the CD cover or visiting Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, and Deezer.

My goal with the Avocado Sessions is simple. To filter through the 4 CDs that make up my SAMMY-winning (Syracuse Area Music Award) 2012 release, A History of Blues, into their common threads. Meaning, in this instance, songs that feature the harmonica work of legendary harp player Tom Townsley. Tom is featured on 7 of the 10 songs. All of the selected songs on Part One are studio versions of songs with a band performing. All but one, Saint James Infirmary Blues, are original songs. Also featured on Part One is drummer extraordinaire Mark Tiffault, bassists Hungry Larry Stringer, T. A. James, and Paul LaRonde, the incredible George Rossi on piano, and Frank Grosso and John Kane play the horns on I Ain't Got No Money. Part Two (mentioned above) will be songs that only feature vocals and guitar or instrumental guitar pieces - solo material. Part Three will consist of duo work - songs that feature vocals, guitar and harmonica (bringing to light Syracuse's other extraordinary harmonica players). While A History of Blues as a whole is a powerful collection of artists and musical stylings, I like the idea of grouping and releasing these stylings into separate collections. Click on the link below to listen to the cuts and make your purchase. Thank you for your support. This is a continuation of the 2920 Sessions recorded at El Rancho Pequeño in El Paso, TX.

Listen and purchase here

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