John Murph
John’s Contributions
March 2008 Artist Profiles
Simone: Like Mother, Like Daughter
Having an icon such as Nina Simone as a mother, a music career should almost be a no-brainer. Then again, some musicians try to dissuade their children from the music business in hopes of protecting them from financial risks, the hard knocks of life on the...
January/February 2008 Overdue Ovation
Steve Reid: Walking with Giants
When Steve Reid talks about his fascinating life as a drummer or waxes philosophical about the state of jazz, three words pop up routinely in the conversation: cycle, rhythm and dance. Those terms also provide apt modifiers for describing Reid’s circuitous...
December 2007 Artist Profiles
Antonio Sanchez:Making Time for the Masters
Sometimes you have to create time to make things happen. That certainly was then case for Antonio Sanchez’s overdue debut disc, Migration (CamJazz). He’s been a constant in-demand drummer since arriving on the scene at the tail end of the ’90s, recording...
November 2007 Artist Profiles
John Scofield: Mixed Bag
John Scofield settles in no particular mode for too long. He sounds as comfortable in R&B, funk and country as he does in bebop, rock and fusion. He impresses even more for his ability to wield an instantly recognizable guitar tone and sense of phrasing...
May 2006 Artist Profiles
ObliqSound: Without Boundaries
ObliqSound is a U.S.- and Germany-based label that’s making serious noise in the jazz scene—and on the dance floor. The company’s motto is “Music without boundaries,” and its adventurous roster includes Gilfema (featuring buzz-worthy Beninian guitarist Lionel...
April 2006 Artist Profiles
Ursula Rucker: Supa Sista
Ursula Rucker laughs a lot. That may come as a surprise to anyone who's heard Rucker recite her edgy poems: When she speaks, words shoot out like bullets with sniperlike precision. Whether she's exploring themes of racism, misogyny or U.S. capitalism, Rucker...
January/February 2006 Albums
Unfinished Symphony
Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra
At the very least, you have to give this large ensemble an "A" for effort. While the combination of hip-hop and live instrumentation is hardly new, very few try to pull it off in such a grandiloquent style as here. Boasting a lineup that includes a 15-piece...
January/February 2006 Albums
Towards the Shining Path
Lafayette Gilchrist
Lafayette Gilchrist continues mapping out his own idiosyncratic path on Towards the Shining Path, a worthy follow-up to his debut, The Music According To Lafayette Gilchrist. On that record, his music was hardly hospitable, projecting an ominous quality...
December 2005 Artist Profiles
Gilles Peterson: Tastemaker
If Gilles Peterson's name is associated with a song, it's almost certain to be hot. Whether it's R&B, jazz, electronica or hip-hop, he's become an international cultural force as music impresario, record producer, label owner and radio and club DJ. He's...
December 2005 Albums
New York Cool: Live at the Blue Note
Donald Harrison, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham
This trio struck a nice accord three years ago on Donald Harrison's CD Heroes (Nagel-Hayer, 2004), and it has since deepened. They excel at giving jazz warhorses tasteful makeovers; such is the case with "Body and Soul," where drummer Billy Cobham and bassist...
December 2005 Albums
Konfusion
Skalpel
Skapel crafts noirish jazztronica soundscapes, favoring simple, recurring melodies and rhythmic motifs. The Polish duo of Marcin Cichy and Ignor Pudlo culls many of its samples from old Polish jazz LPs, but it's obvious that the two have studied tons of...
July/August 2005 Albums
Verve Remixed 3
Various Artists
All the arguments against jazz-remix projects are loud and clear on this dismal third edition of interpretations from the Verve catalog. It's shame, because there are a fair amount of jazz-savvy DJs and producers who could offer more loving and inventive...
July/August 2005 Artist Profiles
Lizz Wright: Worth Her Salt
The jazz world crowned Lizz Wright a bright new talent after her impressive 2003 debut, Salt (Verve). Sure, the CD boasted top-tier jazz accompaniment from Danilo Perez, Chris Potter and Brian Blade, among others. And there was pliancy in her voice that...
June 2005 Albums
At the Center
Meat Beat Manifesto
Thirsty Ear's blazing Blue Series has helped define jazztronica, the deft blending of improvisations with electronic beats and effects. For this edition the label has enlisted legendary sound sculptor Jack Dangers (aka Meat Beat Manifesto) for the fascinating...
May 2005 Hearsay
Meshell Ndegeocello: Jamia Session
Meshell Ndegeocello has built a solid career in the socially conservative world of R&B by being a provocateur. She fearlessly sings about religious hypocrisy, homophobia and sexism, all in a dark, mellifluous voice. It also doesn't hurt that Ndegeocello...
May 2005 Hearsay
Lea DeLaria
It's really hard to be a 'hyphenate' of any kind because people tend to not take you seriously," says Lea DeLaria, minutes after performing the role of Winnie in the Classic Stage Company's production of Samuel Beckett's Happy Days. The 48-year-old is referring...
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ReportAbout John Murph
John Murph is a Washington, D.C.-based music, art and pop culture journalist. His work has been published in JazzTimes, Down Beat, JazzWise and Vibe magazines; in the Washington Post, the Washington Post Express and the Washington City Paper newspapers; and on the NPR, BET Interactive and the Root Web sites. He also hosts a bi-weekly radio show on WPFW-FM (89.3).