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Tamara Murphy - Biography (short) - Download

Tamara Murphy lives in Melbourne, where she studied improvisation at the Victorian College of the Arts. She has toured throughout the UK and Australia with the Cologne New Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (Germany), and performed all over the world with various jazz ensembles. In 2003, Tamara studied in New York City with bassist/composer Mark Helias (funded by an Australia Arts Council Development grant). In 2006, she attended the Banff Workshop for creative and improvised music, run by trumpeter/composer Dave Douglas (funded via an Australian Arts Council grant).

Currently, Tamara Murphy is performing all around Melbourne (and Australia) with many ensembles and leading her quintet, ‘Murphy’s Law’, who released their debut album “Telling Tales” in 2004 (with funding support from Vic Arts) and two albums in 2008 – “Tanuki’s Revenge” and “Street Art” (featuring Murphy’s Law with string quartet and turntables) also with funding support from Vic Rocks.

She also performs regularly with the trio “Keller-Murphy-Browne”, a co-operative group with Allan Browne and Andrea Keller, the Fran Swinn Trio, The Cam McAllister Quintet, Stoneflower, the Devil Goat Family String Band and many other ensembles.

Tamara appears on several albums including “Yma Jam Yma” – The Natives, “Fate of a Bachelor” – Devil Goat Family String Band, “Libran Balance” – The Cam McAllister Quintet and “Carried by the Sun” – Keller-Murphy-Browne in addition to the Murphy’s Law albums.

Tamara Murphy - Biography (long) - Download

Tamara completed the improvisation course at the Victorian College of the Arts, graduating in 1999 with a Bachelor of Music Performance. She has studied with Gary Costello, Lloyd Swanton, Ben Robertson, Andrew Moon (M.S.O.) and Ed Schuller (US), Mark Helias (US) and Larry Grenadier (US). She recently completed the Masters course (research) at VCA, Melbourne in 2008.

Tamara Murphy regularly performs with many outstanding musicians around Australia. She has shared the stage with many musicians, including: Kenny Kirkland, Bob Sedegreen, Tim Stevens, Barney McAll, Mark Fitzgibbon, Gil Askey, Andrew Gander, Geoff Hughes, Allan Browne, Brigitte Allen, Nichaud Fitzgibbon, David Rex, Julien Wilson, Stephen Magnussen, Andrea Keller, Sandy Evans, Jamie Oehlers, Nina Ferro, George Coleman Junior, Dale Barlow, the Sophie Brous band, the Christophe Genoux quartet, the Luke Howard trio, the Cam McAllister quintet, the Fran Swinn Trio and Bernie McGann along with many others.

She has performed at many music festivals, including the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Apollo Bay Music festival, the Women’s International Jazz Festival and the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. She has toured with the Cologne New Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (Germany) throughout the UK and Australia and toured through Hong Kong with Australian saxophonist Anton Delecca in 2001.

In 2003, Tamara studied with bassist/composer Mark Helias in New York City (funded by an Australia Arts Council Development grant). In 2004, Tamara Murphy’s quintet “Murphy’s Law” released their debut CD “Telling Tales” (Newmarket), featuring the talents of Julien Wilson and Jordan Murray (funded through a Vic Arts grant). In 2006, she studied at the Banff Centre (Canada) as part of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, run by Dave Douglas (funded by the Australian Arts Council). In 2008, Murphy’s Law released two albums through Soundvault records: Tanuki’s Revenge and Street Art (funded by Vic Rocks – an Arts Victoria initiative), featuring string quartet and turntables.

Currently, Tamara is leading, writing and arranging for groups ”Murphy’s Law”, the co-led trio “Keller-Murphy-Browne” with Andrea Keller and Allan Browne and the “Fran Swinn Trio”, in addition to performing regularly all over Melbourne with some of Australia’s leading contemporary jazz musicians. She also teaches at the Victorian College of the Arts, Genazzano Girls School and St. Catherines Girl’s School.

Murphy's Law - Biography (short) - Download

Murphy's Law is a dynamic group led by Melbourne bassist Tamara Murphy. Murphy's Law was formed in August 2002, and features the awesome lineup of Julien Wilson (sax), Shannon Barnett/Jordan Murray (trombone), Nashua Lee (guitar), Joe Talia (drums) and Tamara Murphy (double bass, bandleader).

Over the last 6 years, Murphy's Law has performed at many festivals around Australia. In 2004, Murphy’s Law recorded and released their debut CD “Telling Tales” (Newmarket). In 2008 the group released their second album “Tanuki’s Revenge” in addition to the project “Street Art”, performed and recorded in conjunction with turntablist ‘Jumps’ from The Cat Empire and string quartet.

Murphy's Law boasts an original repertoire, featuring compositions inspired by popular and electronic music, experimenting with new song forms and different stylistic directions as well as a few select covers.

“There’s been no shortage of strong CD releases by local bands this year, but the one I’ve been most excited by is the debut album from Murphy’s Law”
- Adrian Jackson - Rhythms Magazine Nov. 2004

“… a wildly successful integration of classical, jazz and electronica”
- Roger Mitchell - Sunday Herald Sun, Sept 21 2008

“… jazz of a very high order”
- Kenny Weir - Sunday Herald Sun, June 26, 2005

Murphy's Law - Biography (long) - Download

Murphy's Law boasts an original repertoire, inspired by the music of artists such as Steve Coleman, Dave Holland, Radiohead, Bjork and Charlie Haden, with the compositions written by bandleader, Tamara Murphy. Murphy’s Law has a collectively produced a sound with an identity unique to the Melbourne jazz scene incorporating wide landscapes and dark grooves.

The ensemble has performed at many festivals around Australia, in addition to performing regularly around Melbourne. In 2004, Murphy’s Law recorded and released their debut CD “Telling Tales” (Newmarket), funded through a Vic Arts Grant. In 2008 the group released two recordings: their second album “Tanuki’s Revenge” in addition to the project “Street Art”, performed and recorded in conjunction with turntablist ‘Jumps’ from The Cat Empire and string quartet. These projects feature new compositions inspired by popular and electronic music, experimenting with new song forms and different stylistic directions as well as featuring a few select covers.

“… a wildly successful integration of classical, jazz and electronica”
- Roger Mitchell - Sunday Herald Sun, Sept 21 2008

“jazz of a very high order”
- Kenny Weir - Sunday Herald Sun, June 26, 2005

CD Reviews - Download

The Weekend Australian, CD Review section, published Oct 4th 2008

Tanuki’s Revenge
Murphy’s Law
Sound Vault

Rating: ****

Melbourne bassist Tamara Murphy’s high calibre sextet has recorded eight of her originals, four of them live at Bennett’s Lane and four in the ABC studios, with an album title taken from a Japanese folkloric character. Most of these pieces are played at a slow tempo, with one exception, Catalyst Boy opens at an ultra slow pace, but soon moves to furioso speed with Julien Wilson’s tenor sax in leaping overdrive overtaken by Nashua Lee’s racing guitar. Sweet Dreams proceeds at an unhurried speed in a lagging beat with tenor sax, guitar and Shannon Barnett’s trombone all contributing sweetly to truly dream-like sequences. The leader’s bass introduces Lilac Wine, a slow ballad featuring elegantly measured trombone ideas with Joe Talia double timing on cymbals. Slow Exposure is exactly that, gradually revealing its quiet theme. These players inject an enticing continuity of slo-mo mood throughout with trombone and tenor sax working together superbly in tranquillity or occasionally tumult.

John McBeath

CD Review – Street Art
Sunday Herald Sun, Sept 21 2008, p 12

JAZZ
STREET ART
Murphy’s Law
(Sound Vault)

***1/2

After an acclaimed debut in 2002 with Telling Tales, Murphy’s Law is back on the streets, toting a string quartet and Jamshid “Jumps” Khadiwala (of Cat Empire fame) on turntables.

Bassist Tamara Murphy leads this unlikely ensemble in a tribute to street artists that explores electronic techniques (delay, sampling, looping) with improvised acoustic music. With its energy, undercurrents and restless urgency, it effectively evokes street life. Murphy’s compositions reflect city art’s haste and impermanence, recalling glimpses, echoes and snippets of conversation in a colourful journey that can be gritty as well as delicate.

Nashua Lee’s guitar works superbly, either throbbing with life or as a muted backdrop to Julien Wilson’s saxophone and Shannon Barnett’s trombone. Sampled voices break like thoughts into serene sax on Street Art Part 3, with filigree strings as a garnish.

Murphy has inspired a wildly successful integration of classical, jazz and electronica.

By Roger Mitchell

Sunday Herald Sun, June 26, 2005

Telling Tales
Murphy’s Law
(Newmarket Music)

In Short: Melbourne band spins fine tales with soul and style

“One of the most striking sounds emanating from jazz scenes around the world is coming from a new generation of guitarists seemingly attuned to rock and beyond rather than the role models of years gone by, such as Wes Montgomery.

Australia’s contribution to this ear-grabbing trend is enhanced by the brilliant, dizzying contributions of Nashua Chen Lee, who joins the likes of Steve Magnusson, James Muller and Cameron Deyell as a frontrunner in the guitar wizardry stakes.

But he is only one of the joys to be found on this outing by a Melbourne outfit led by bassist Tamara Murphy, not least being the leader’s moody grooves in terms of composing.

Add to the mix tenor saxophonist Julien Wilson, trombonist Jordan Murray and drummer Joe Talia, and you are listening to jazz of a very high order.”

By Kenny Weir

Rhythms Magazine, November 2004

Telling Tales
Murphy’s Law
(Newmarket Music)

There’s been no shortage of strong CD releases by locals bands this year, but the one I’ve been most excited by is the debut album from Murphy’s Law. This band is led by bassist-composer Tamara Murphy, who has been increasingly prominent over the last few years, working with people like Allan Browne, Tony Gould, The Hoodangers, Will Poskitt, Craig Fermanis, and Jamie Oehlers, among others. She also did a great job in the ‘house band’ for the National Jazz Awards at Wangaratta 2003.

Joining her are tenor saxophonist Julien Wilson, trombonist Jordan Murray, guitarist Nashua Lee and drummer Joe Talia. The personnel gives her a head start, as Wilson and Murray are such accomplished players, and have often worked together in several bands, notably Ish Ish.

Telling Tales is an apt title for this album. Thanks to Murphy’s skills as a composer and the efforts of the soloists, each track does indeed tell a tale, rather than allowing everyone to take turns at showing off what they can do. Tenor saxophonist Julien Wilson plays with tremendous imagination and fire (check out his opening salvo on ‘Largo’), which is balanced by trombonist Jordan Murray’s more measured approach.

Guitarist Nash Lee is the wild card in the band. Whether soloing or accompanying, he constantly produces unexpected melodic and textural ideas. Not a bebop cliché in sight. Murphy, meanwhile, holds it all together in tandem with drummer Joe Talia. In her own purposeful playing, as well as her writing, she suggests the influence of such bassists as Dave Holland and Mark Helias, which is no mean feat for a young bassist on her first recording.

LIVE REVIEWS

Jazz
MURPHY’S LAW
The Toff in Town
Tuesday 16 September
www.myspace.com/tamaramurphy
Review by: JESSICA NICHOLAS
(The Age, 19 Sept 2008)

Melbourne bass player Tamara Murphy spent much of last year working on a new project designed to combine the different musical styles that informed her approach as a player. The result was Street Art, a three-part suite combining jazz with elements of rock, electronica and contemporary classical music.
Murphy launched the Street Art recording – along with a new CD by her jazz quintet Murphy’s Law – with a memorable concert on Tuesday night at the Toff in Town.

The evening’s first set was drawn from Tanuki’s Revenge (the Murphy’s Law CD), and featured the quintet in typically potent form. Most tunes were driven by the propulsive twin-engine team of Murphy and drummer Joe Talia, creating sturdy but malleable grooves for the horns and guitar to hook into. Sweet Dreams (the Eurythmics’ pop hit) was given a deliciously grimy late-night drawl, while Catalyst Boy corralled a bracing, free-for-all explosion within the mournful plod of a New Orleans funeral procession.

For the second set, the band was joined by a string quartet and turntable artist Jamshid ‘Jumps’ Khadiwala. This extended ensemble performed the Street Art suite: a sophisticated and innovative work that explored the possibilities of electro-acoustic fusion. Rather than using the strings simply as a lush backdrop, Murphy asked the classical players to recreate various electronic effects: echo and reverb; looping and layering; sharp accents and shimmering waves. The core quintet (Murphy, Talia, saxophonist Julien Wilson, trombonist Shannon Barnett and guitarist Nashua Lee) interacted with the strings – soloing with extended techniques, or adding a driving pulse to anchor the sometimes dissonant voicings – while Jumps deepened the rhythmic momentum with syncopated samples and scratches.

The final movement was particularly compelling, Wilson improvising over Jumps’ slow-motion blurs, then merging with the strings to produce eerily resonant tonal effects – a fascinating example of how imaginative thinking can point the way to new directions in music.