Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1932, Murphy was raised in a musical family, his parents having met as members of the local Methodist Church choir. He grew up in the nearby small town of Fulton, New York, where his grandmother and then his aunt were the church organists. Opera was also a presence in the Murphy home. He started piano lessons at the age of seven.
Murphy joined his brother's jazz dance band as the singer when a teenager, citing influences from Nat "King" Cole, June Christy, Anita O'Day, and Ella Fitzgerald. The Jazz pianist Art Tatum was also an influence.
Murphy graduated from Syracuse University in 1953, majoring in Music and Drama. University life included performing on campus and also in a club – playing piano and singing.
In 1954, Murphy moved to New York City, working part-time as an actor and singer. He appeared in productions for the Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera Company and a musical version for television of Casey at the Bat. Also, he twice took second place at the Apollo Theatre amateur contests.
Murphy was eventually introduced to record producer Milt Gabler, who was an artist and repertoire director (A & R) for Decca. His resulting debut recording was Meet Mark Murphy (1956), followed closely by Let Yourself Go (1957).
In 1958 Murphy moved to Los Angeles and recorded for Capitol, but returned to New York in the early '60s and recorded the album Rah! (1961) on Riverside Records, performing "Angel Eyes", a version of Horace Silver's "Doodlin'", and "Green Dolphin Street", featuring Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Blue Mitchell and Wynton Kelly as accompanists. His favorite recording to date, That's How I Love the Blues, soon followed. In 1963, Murphy hit the charts across the country with his single of "Fly Me to the Moon" and was voted New Star of the Year in Down Beat Magazine's Reader's Poll.[citation needed]
In the late 1960s Murphy moved to London, England, where he worked primarily as an actor. He continued however, to cultivate his jazz audiences in Europe. He returned to the States in 1972 and began recording an average of an album a year for more than fourteen years on the Muse label. These projects - including the albums Nat King Cole Songbook Vol. I and II, Bop for Kerouac, Kerouac Then And Now, Living Room, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Beauty And the Beast and, Stolen Moments - gained numerous Grammy nominations.[citation needed] This last album contains Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" with lyrics by Murphy.
In 1984 together with Viva Brasil he recorded the album Brazil Song (Cancões do Brasil), which featured original material written by Brazilian songwriters including work by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento.
In 1987, Murphy recorded Night Mood, an album of songs by Brazilian composer Ivan Lins, followed by the Grammy-nominated September Ballads on Milestone Records. Murphy has also appeared on U.F.O.'s last two releases (for Polydor Records), in which he wrote and rapped lyrics on songs composed with the group. This collaboration opened up further new audiences in the acid-jazz and hip-hop genres, demonstrating jazz's timelessness while transcending generations and styles.
In August 1997, BMG/RCA Victor released Song For The Geese, for which he has received his sixth Grammy nomination. Also in August 1997, the 32 Records label Joel Dorn and Michael Bourne released a double CD anthology Stolen and Other Moments, which features some of his recordings for the now defunct Muse label. The CD features material from the two "Kerouac" albums and a selection of "the best of Mark Murphy".
Murphy’s release Once to Every Heart (2005), on the Verve label, features sensuous ballads, where the listener can capture him singing in top form, with superb musicians and sounding better than ever. In 2007 Love is What Stays was released on Verve. Both albums were produced by German trumpeter Till Brönner.
Murphy has also collaborated with Five Corners Quintet, a modern Finnish jazz band. He appears on their albums Chasin' the Jazz Gone By (2005) and Hot Corner (2008).
In 2010 he released the independently produced CD, Never Let Me Go, on which he is supported by pianist Misha Piatigorsky, bassist Danton Boller and drummer Chris Wabich. A limited edition EP/MP3, "Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn" on Gearbox Records was released in 2013.
Murphy continued to tour internationally into his 80s, appearing at festivals, concerts, in jazz clubs and on television programs, throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan, as well as other places. John Bush at AllMusic.com described Murphy as "a major name in vocal jazz." A longtime resident of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, he died there on October 22, 2015.
Stolen Moments
Mark Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Trumpet solo by Walt Fowler
Frauenthal Auditorium, Muskegon, Michigan
March 1, 1988
The song "Stolen Moments," written by jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelson, is about the fleeting experiences that we can have in life, and how we must appreciate and hold onto them while we can. The lyrics talk about how these moments of pleasure and happiness can be quickly taken away, but the memory of them can last forever. It is a timeless reminder to cherish every moment and to make the most of the time that we have.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that some moments are worth the risk of getting hurt. The line "You are like a dream to me, that somehow became reality" suggests that the joy of experiencing those stolen moments is worth the pain of losing them. The song's message is both bittersweet and hopeful, encouraging us to live in the present and savor every moment.
As for the song itself, "Stolen Moments" has become a jazz standard and has been covered by many artists over the years. It was first recorded by Oliver Nelson in 1961 and features a distinctive saxophone melody that has become instantly recognizable. The song has been praised for its complex harmonic structure and use of unusual time signatures.
Line by Line Meaning
Stolen moments that we steal as the curtain falls
Precious, fleeting instances that we seize as the performance comes to an end.
We never say tomorrow, caress the present's now and here
We don't talk about what may happen in the future, but instead enjoy and cherish the present moment.
So I will hold this moment, as fondly as the memory of love
I will grasp onto this instant, cherishing it in the same way that I would lovingly remember a previous romantic relationship.
For you are mine, for you are mine
I feel that this moment belongs to me and me alone because I am experiencing it with you.
Stolen moments, time is fair in stealing from us all
The concept of time doesn't discriminate; it takes away precious moments from all of us.
Watching as the shadows run, like lovers across the wall
Observing the shadows move across the wall, as if they are two adoring partners.
It's moments such as these that make me wish I could freeze frame time
This kind of moment makes me yearn for the ability to pause time completely, so I can enjoy it for as long as I want.
We could hold each other close forever and never say goodbye
We could stay embraced for all eternity, never having to bid adieu to one another.
Stolen moments that we steal from each other
Moments that we poach and cherish when we have them together.
No regrets, it's worth the cost, the price that we are living
There's no reason to feel remorseful because the gratification of experiencing these moments outweighs any costs of our actions.
Stolen moments, stolen moments, stolen moments}
Repeating the phrase to emphasize the importance of these fleeting, treasured moments.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OLIVER E. NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anthonymarino1016
A great and innovative jazz singer. Few could swing like he did.
@markcaletgesakaleech7217
Wow no one sang a love song like this guy!
@kennethellison9713
I wore this album out when I bought it in the 80's. I recorded it on cassette and brought it everywhere with me. I was privileged to see Mark perform a number of times and shared an orange juice with him once between shows in San Francisco. He was a wonderful singer and performer and a very gentle man.
@Sweetpjoe
Mark Murphy was a singers singer. A true Jazz singer of the highest caliber.
@sdfgsdfg9549
Mark Howe Murphy (March 14, 1932 – October 22, 2015) was an American jazz singer based at various times in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and San Francisco. He recorded 51 albums under his own name during his lifetime and was principally known for his innovative vocal improvisations.
@tA_aT287
This is outstanding jazz
@prestonkaiser7519
i know it is kinda off topic but do anyone know a good place to stream new series online?
@robertokabir3628
@Preston Kaiser i watch on Flixzone. You can find it on google =)
@drakestetson1322
@Roberto Kabir Yea, I have been watching on flixzone for since march myself :D
@prestonkaiser7519
@Roberto Kabir thanks, I went there and it seems like a nice service :) I appreciate it !