Jazz vocalist extraordinaire Mark Murphy, a six-time Grammy nominee, has inspired many up-and-coming jazz singers. On Tuesday, October 20, an all-female contingent of Murphy protégés – all of them now renowned vocalists in their own right – will gather at Yoshi’s Oakland to celebrate their mentor’s influence through songs, stories and the establishment of the Mark Murphy Vocal Jazz Scholarship for Berkeley’s Jazzschool.
The 77-year-old Murphy, who began his recording career more than five decades ago, will attend both the concert and a meet-and-greet after the show.
The evening’s performers include Kitty Margolis (pictured above), Madeline Eastman, Ann Dyer, Laurie Antonioli, Joyce Cooling and Bobbe Norris – all of whom are based in the Bay Area and all of whom enjoyed Murphy’s support and friendship when he was living in San Francisco in the late 1970s and ’80s. Says Margolis: “This little group of us shared a really special moment in time, when San Francisco had a thriving jazz scene with countless clubs and jam sessions, and the older generation of masters was freely co-mingling with the young ones hungry for the music and the knowledge. During those magic years, Mark blessed us generously with his wisdom, and we continue to treasure him. The Jazzschool scholarship is a way to ‘pay it forward’ a bit by nurturing some gifted emerging artists. We’re all really thrilled to have this chance to express how much Mark Murphy means to us.”
Tickets for the show are $25 ($10 for Jazzschool students with student ID) and are available by phone (510-238-9200) or online (www.yoshis.inticketing.com). Proceeds go toward establishing the Mark Murphy Vocal Jazz Scholarship at Berkeley’s Jazzschool. ($20 of ticket price is tax deductible.) For more information about the Jazzschool or donating to the Mark Murphy Vocal Jazz Scholarship, go to www.jazzschool.com or call 510-845-5372.
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This is one of the more important jazz events of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area. When Mark Murphy lived here, he inspired and mentored the vocalists who are honoring him and so many others. Establishing a scholarship in his name at the Jazzschool in Berkeley, which has become a significant educational force in the jazz world, is fitting and commendable. Kudos to Mark Murphy and to those paying homage to him.