James Robert Murphy: Sunday Morning

Some musicians stick to one style and consistently remain true to it, while others continually explore new sounds and musical styles. Guitarist James Robert Murphy, aka Austin Jimmy Murphy, falls into this second category. He has worked in various genres, but he is clearly a jazz player at heart. With Sunday Morning, he offers a satisfying collection of jazz compositions, grounded in blues, shaded with Americana.

Much of this comes as a result of Murphy's eclectic background. He cut his teeth as a songwriter and performer during the 1970s, and later co-founded the New York State Blues Festival. In 2012, he compiled a four-disc set titled History of Blues (BLBM Publishing) and later explored Americana on The Way Things Used To Be (BLBM, 2019). In recent years, he has turned to jazz with The 2920 Sessions (BLBM, 2020) and Park North (BLBM, 2021), albums that reveal a musician in the process of discovery. Sunday Morning shows Murphy as an artist comfortable in his voice, drawing on memory and experience rather than experimentation for its own sake.

Murphy effectively weaves reflection and geography into a set of eight instrumental pieces, with each tune named after a street or avenue that holds essential significance in his life. The recordings feature Murphy on guitar along with Gary Michaels on bass, John Francis on drums, Ian James on percussion and Robert Francis on keyboards. Murphy's guitar tone throughout is warm and lyrical, emphasizing storytelling over flash. While there are influences from other genres, he is a jazz player first and foremost.

"Salina Street," the opening track, is named after the main road through Nedrow, New York, where he grew up. This features a soulful groove with a laid-back vibe. This coolness permeates the album, with songs that touch on various styles, each offering an inviting sound rooted in personal history and nostalgia. "Riverside Drive," for example, is a nod to his wife's roots in El Paso. The smooth samba vibe provides a template for Murphy's expressive guitar work.

Other tracks highlight the variety in Murphy's palette. "Brae Burn Lane," written on the spot, brings an improvisatory freshness, while "Lakehurst Drive" leans into smooth-jazz warmth. "Elton Avenue," with its Latin flavor, provides rhythmic lift and remains one of his favorite tracks. "The State Street Shuffle" delivers a solid bluesy funk groove, reminiscent of some Steely Dan deep cuts. The album closes with "211 Thompson Road," an energetic boogie shuffle that begins with the sound of a phonograph needle being placed on a record.

Sunday Morning captures the essence of nostalgia while affirming Murphy's identity as a jazz guitarist. It is a personal journey, but one that invites listeners to rediscover their own memories through the power of sound.