Kurt Elling's Tribute to the Late Mark Murphy

"I'll Close My Eyes" & "Time to Say Goodbye"

Kurt Elling Quintet
Pančevački Jazz Festival
Pančevo, Serbia
November 5, 2015

Kurt Elling, voice
Stu Mindeman, piano
Clark Sommers, bass
Ulysses Owens, drums
John McLean, guitar

Mark Murphy (March 14, 1932 – October 22, 2015)

Kurt Elling on Mark Murphy:

"Mark was certainly the door through which I found out about the broadest range of Jazz singing possibilities. He set a standard for individualism, and he set the bar for interpretive personalization. So eccentric, so unique. Such a personal and singular take on songs.

"Mark always had such strength and courage onstage. I have many intense memories of hearing Mark perform in the years before we knew one another - in Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis and New York. I remember the thrill each time I would come across a Mark LP I did not know about - in the years when there were still record stores and no Internet. I remember setting an alarm to wake up at 3 am so as to record (on cassette!) a live set Mark was doing from Las Vegas.

"Mark distilled a great number of things which preceded him, and then showed how one could point them in the direction of his own new and original ideas. He recreated songbook classics and hipped up bop through his phrasing, arranging and unique vocal ingenuity.

"He investigated ballads in such a dramatic fashion. The medley he made of The Night We Called It A Day and There's No You - what a great idea! I'll never forget hearing him sing Never Let Me Go for the first time, because man, he feels it so deeply. And he interprets it in such an emotionally raw fashion. And then there's Mark's work as a spoken word artist as well, keeping that beatnik tradition alive.

"Mark showed us all that the singers' art is never done evolving. He showed how moving and dramatic an evening of Jazz singing could be. You have to take each individual jazz singer for the best qualities that they bring. Mark brought the savage, broken-hearted passion, the balladry, the drama, the spoken word aspects. He made a lifetime of innovative, truly great vocal Jazz records.

"I shall always be indebted to him for the gifts he gave me - both professionally and personally. I can only hope Mark knew of my love and respect for his work, life and soul."