Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mark Murphy: The Latin Porter

385

Mark Murphy: The Latin Porter

By

Sign in to view read count
Mark Murphy: The Latin Porter
During the course of this live album, Mark Murphy observes that "everything old is becoming new again. Even me, folks." Certainly, the 68-year-old singer shows no signs of slowing down. He recently won the 2000 Downbeat Magazine Reader's Poll as Male Vocalist of the Year, and he finished second in the voting for the Hall of Fame. In a genre that usually measures the gap between records in years, Mr. Murphy has released two CDs in 2000, Some Time Ago on the HighNote label and this collection, The Latin Porter, on Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label.

The Latin Porter functions as three records in one. It is an excursion into the rhythms of Latin music, it is a collection of Cole Porter tunes, and it is a live album. Mark Murphy throws himself into all three aspects of the recording with his typical enthusiasm. Mr. Murphy is the rare singer of whom it can be said that he demonstrates enormous sophistication and little subtlety. While he clearly respects Cole Porter, his approach to the material here is hardly reverential. Mr. Murphy stretches,twists and reinvents the tunes in often surprising ways. His highly extroverted scat singing, although very creative, can seem over-the-top depending on the listener's perspective. Mr. Murphy is an enormously effective interpreter of lyrics (as he demonstrates on a seductive "In the Still of the Night") although one prone to occasional flights of hipster fancy (as on "Get Out of Town"). At times his musical and interpretive ideas are greater than the limits of his voice, which nevertheless remains an appealing, if frayed, instrument. He also has a wonderful rhythmic sense that serves him well on the album's nicely varied Latin textures.

The rhythm section and trombonist/arranger Al Bent all have extensive experience in Latin music. Fortunately, they do not make the mistake of trying to turn the album into a Celia Cruz recording. The marriage of the Cole Porter tunes and Latin rhythms works because all of the musicians involved maintain a sense of balance and respect for both sides of the equation. To that end, the presence of Tom Harrell as featured soloist helps to ground the record. Mr. Harrell's pristine, ethereal playing contrasts nicely with Mr. Murphy's more aggressive singing.

The salsa-flavored "Looking at You" is the most successful realization of the album's concept. However, it is the closing song that best expresses the guiding principle behind Mark Murphy's work here and throughout his five decades long career – "Experiment."

Track Listing

I Get a Kick Out of You, In the Still of the Night, Dream Dancing, Get Out of Town, Looking at You, I've Got You Under My Skin, All of You, Everything I Love, Experiment

Personnel

Mark Murphy
vocals

Mark Murphy: vocals; Tom Harrell: trumpet; Peter Schimke: piano; Esther Godinez: percussion, vocals; Mark Van Wageningen: bass; Daniel Gonzalez: drums; Al Bent: trombone

Album information

Title: The Latin Porter | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Go Jazz

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.