Chris Murray
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chris Murray | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Genre(s) | Ska, Acoustic, Rock | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician Singer Producer |
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| Years active | 1989 - Present | |
| Label(s) | Raw Energy Asian Man |
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| Associated acts |
King Apparatus The Chris Murray Combo Da Whole Thing |
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| Website | www.chrismurray.net | |
Chris Murray is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter and guitarist working primarily in the genre of ska. In Canada, he was a member of the now-defunct ska band King Apparatus during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He now lives in the Los Angeles, California area, where he performs regularly, both solo as well as with the Chris Murray Combo. In addition, since 2003 Murray has been organizing a weekly ska/reggae show called "The Bluebeat Lounge" which features both local and out of town artists every Tuesday at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood.
As a child, Murray was exposed to popular ska-influenced songs such as "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" by The Beatles, "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash, and Eric Clapton's cover of "I Shot the Sheriff" on the radio. At the age of 12 he heard Madness' cover of "One Step Beyond" for the first time and instantly fell in love with two-tone ska and listened to it through his high school days, during which he also played the trumpet.
Equally capable as a producer, Murray produced Life of the Party (1999) and Attack of the Planet Smashers for the Montreal third-wave ska band The Planet Smashers, as well as Tooth for the eclectic New York City ska/jazz supergroup Da Whole Thing. Murray also appears as a vocalist on several Da Whole Thing songs, including "Graveyard Dance" and "Running for the F Train". More recently, Murray recorded Slackness, a collaboration with the seminal New York City ska band The Slackers. The 11-song album features Murray singing lead vocals on new arrangements of his solo material, as well as some entirely new songs and a cover of The Clash's "Janie Jones" .
Murray has performed throughout North America, Europe, Japan, and South America, sharing the stage with such notable acts as The Specials, The Slackers and Laurel Aitken. He is known for the collegial and informal atmosphere of his live shows, during which his set list is determined almost exclusively by live requests from audience members.
Murray has released three CDs on the Asian Man Records label: 4-Trackaganza!, Raw, and 4-Track Adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris. His CDs are often recorded with a four-track tape recorder, giving a distinctly lo-fi sound. Raw is especially lo-fi, as it was recorded on a hand-held walkman.
