Home » Member Page

Bill Murk

Solo, studio, group availability - Jazz, Country, Rock, Classical, Gospel

About Me

Masters from Chicago Musical College. Played at Hoosier Dome, Georgia Dome, and around the world with groups and solo. Played on dozens of albums. Has several solo CDs in different genres including jazz (Intercessor with keyboardist Richard Drexler) and bluegrass (Bound For Glory).

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because there are no limits to its complexities. I tend to think outside the box, and something about the non-traditional chord structures and rhythms has always held my interest and inspired my own creativity. I was first exposed to jazz in the early sixties listening to albums of Peter Nero. Maybe the best show I ever attended although I didn't appreciate it at the time was seeing Duke Ellington up at Camp Interlochen in Traverse City, Michigan back in about 1969 or 1970. One of my favorite artists over the years has been Oscar Peterson. I didn't get a chance to see him live (at Ravinia) until after his stroke, but he was still amazing, and no one would have ever known! The most memorable show for me was when I sat in the front row up at a summer music camp in door county Wisconsin and the jazz faculty, who were great jazz musicians from all over the country, played an hour of some of the best Big Band music I've ever heard! The intimate setting added to the power and presence of the way the music filled up the room. I used to enjoy going to see Maynard Ferguson and Buddy Rich when they would come to the Chicago area and play in the Des Plaines high school gymnasium. The first jazz record I bought was probably something by Spyro Gyra. Recently I have been enjoying sites like Pandora where I've been introduced to great artists I was previously unaware of. It seems like I'm finding new favorite artists on a regular basis! My advice to new listeners would be to expand your palate by checking out other artists that might be similar to your current favorites. As an artist, don't be afraid to try new things. It's easy to get into a rut if you don't take chances. I find it to be far more interesting to experiment and maybe not like something than not to have tried it. It all goes into your bank of knowledge and intuition.