![My decidion to move to El Paso in 2004. I accepted the position of Managing Director for El Paso Opera.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/eccdea5bc818473d31951f31b7c42f2f90138005/original/img-2330.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
My decidion to move to El Paso in 2004. I accepted the position of Managing Director for El Paso Opera.
![My award for my Service to the Arts from the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/aca8ccbf3792d7c9d5bc2c9eb6c40e4703cc762e/original/img-1995.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
My award for my Service to the Arts from the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County.
![Various awards (L to R) - a SAMMY (Syracuse Area Music Award) for the New York State Blues Festival, my Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation, another SAMMY for Best Blues CD for my A History of Blues 4-CD box set, and a community award for service to music and the arts from the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Center.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/4a84218ff3df39cdb1f58e45397a9ce94eb077b0/original/img-1601.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Various awards (L to R) - a SAMMY (Syracuse Area Music Award) for the New York State Blues Festival, my Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation, another SAMMY for Best Blues CD for my A History of Blues 4-CD box set, and a community award for service to music and the arts from the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Center.
![Beale St., Memphis, TN. Austin Jimmy Murphy performing on Beale St. in Memphis prior to its redevelopment (1970s).](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/4f00271f13a1bd9748699ed2f1ac5faf17f8c6e2/original/music-austin-in-memphis-photo.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Beale St., Memphis, TN. Austin Jimmy Murphy performing on Beale St. in Memphis prior to its redevelopment (1970s).
![Skitz Austin, TX promo shot. We had some great recording sessions back in the day. Photo, Ian Edwards.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/7ad24c5613fa208a01efabf34f069c5a43a5369d/original/img-0675.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Skitz Austin, TX promo shot. We had some great recording sessions back in the day. Photo, Ian Edwards.
![Pre-Skitz in Austin, (now deceased) drummer Steve Campbell, bassist T-Bone Rathbun in an old ranch we rented outside of Austin, TX, All we did was play music.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/cc9c8e5b35c52332d41cac29086dff24aef8327d/original/img-1061.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Pre-Skitz in Austin, (now deceased) drummer Steve Campbell, bassist T-Bone Rathbun in an old ranch we rented outside of Austin, TX, All we did was play music.
![The first Blues Cruise on Oneida Lake in Upstate NY. Mike Petroff on the harp, Mark Tiffault on the snare and TA James on the bass.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/ec9d15aae3ba9b4f71157d9009182c2927981f95/original/original-blues-cruise-photos-1.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
The first Blues Cruise on Oneida Lake in Upstate NY. Mike Petroff on the harp, Mark Tiffault on the snare and TA James on the bass.
![Pedals, pickups and paraphernalia. Original VOX Wah-wah and pedals, Nighthawks button (upper right), hi-tech cassette recorder under that, loose pickups, acoustic pickups, bullet mic, Echo chromatic harmonica](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/029c53889caeeb6c68f7c746c6811527e3ccd5d2/original/music-pedals-b-w.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Pedals, pickups and paraphernalia. Original VOX Wah-wah and pedals, Nighthawks button (upper right), hi-tech cassette recorder under that, loose pickups, acoustic pickups, bullet mic, Echo chromatic harmonica
![Green bullet mic Harp mic - made made at the Muzak store on the south side of Syracuse, NY, Hohner harps and guitar pickups](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/e853bda6675776f51313f2338f90dcf012667af7/original/music-close-up-harp-mic.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Green bullet mic Harp mic - made made at the Muzak store on the south side of Syracuse, NY, Hohner harps and guitar pickups
![Late 1970s acoustic instrument collection. Syracuse, NY. I still have the mandolin, the fiddle and the Guild Starfire to the right.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/d47f21e782f096c752a4773921765d18980e176c/original/music-austin-collectionimg-0609.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Late 1970s acoustic instrument collection. Syracuse, NY. I still have the mandolin, the fiddle and the Guild Starfire to the right.
![Early 1980s guitar collection. Austin, TX. Traded in the 3/4 size Fender (2nd from right) and must have sold or traded the Gibson SG bass on the floor, but I still have the others.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/f9771e1e458b6e73e75ea5794c2459240cbd7a3f/original/music-austin-collection-2.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Early 1980s guitar collection. Austin, TX. Traded in the 3/4 size Fender (2nd from right) and must have sold or traded the Gibson SG bass on the floor, but I still have the others.
![Sears Silvertone guitar With make-shift gold-fleck formica pick guard and replacement bridge and pickup. It's in rough shape.](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396391/ca98f97e692f9155865db082b4d49fe4cc02463f/original/music-silvertone-body.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sic2l6ZSIsIjM1MHciXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
Sears Silvertone guitar With make-shift gold-fleck formica pick guard and replacement bridge and pickup. It's in rough shape.