| Turk Murphy | |
|---|---|
Turk Murphy |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Melvin Edward Alton Murphy |
| Born | December 16, 1915 Palermo, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 30, 1987 (aged 71) San Francisco, U.S. |
| Genres | Dixieland |
| Occupations | Trombonist Jazz singer |
| Instruments | Trombone Vocals |
Melvin Edward Alton “Turk” Murphy (born Palermo, California, December 16, 1915; died of bone cancer in San Francisco, California, May 30, 1987) was renowned as a trombonist who played traditional and dixieland jazz in San Francisco.
Murphy served in the Navy during World War II, during which time he played and recorded when he could, with the likes of Lu Watters and Bunk Johnson. In 1952, he headed his own band, "Turk Murphy's Jazz Band," which included pianist Wally Rose, clarinetist Bob Helm, banjo player Dick Lammi, and tubaist Bob Short. They played at the Italian Village at Columbus and Lombard, in San Francisco’s North Beach. The band appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show twice, in 1959 and 1965. In 1979, horn man Bob Schulz began an eight-year stint with the band. Other notable band members over the years included trumpeters Don Kinch, Bob Short, and Leon Oakley; pianists Pete Clute and Ray Skjelbred; and singer Pat Yankee.
Murphy was the singer for the 1971 Sesame Street cartoon shorts, "The Alligator King" and "#9 Martian Beauty" animated and produced by his long time friend animator Bud Luckey. Murphy also arranged and performed on many of Bud Luckey's other Sesame Street animated Shorts. In addition to Luckey, Murphy was a long time friend of fellow trombonist and Disney animator Ward Kimball who created many memorable caricatures of Murphy and Charles Addams creator of The Addams Family.
Among other venues, Murphy's band played his nightclub "Earthquake McGoons," which opened in 1960 and moved three times, from 99 Broadway to 630 Clay in 1964, the Embarcadero in 1979 and Pier 39 in 1983, before closing in 1984.
In January 1987, Murphy played Carnegie Hall. He died on May 30, 1987, leaving behind his wife Harriet and their son Carson. He is buried at Cypress Lane Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo County, CA.
Together with Lu Watters and Bob Scobey, Murphy dominated the revivalism in the San Francisco area. His band recorded and released dozens of albums.
Richard Cook Jazz Encyclopedia London 2007, p. 453