My Work
Paul Murphy – 2018The Pawtucket guitarist, who was a jack-of-all-trades as well as a master-of-all, made his mark as sideman recording and touring with three of Rhode Island’s biggest music stars: Greg Abate, James Montgomery and Duke Robillard.
For 2018, the Hall of Fame Board decided to revisit the “Sideman” category and this year’s honoree is the late, great Paul Murphy. Growing up in Pawtucket in the 1960s, Paul was inspired by the British Invasion bands and began delving into the Blues, Jazz and R&B roots of his Rock ’n’ Roll and Soul heroes. By the mid-1970s, he was considered not only a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of all. He became a member of the popular R&B dance band Tabagi which explored the rhythmic aspects of world music from Reggae to Funk to Afro-Latin. He next joined saxophonist Greg Abate’s jazz-fusion group Channel One which recorded the critically acclaimed Without Boundaries in 1981. He spent most of the ‘80s as guitarist for The Groovemasters who explored similar territory to Tabagi, but with the emphasis more on the American aspects of Funk and Soul. In the early ‘90s, he joined the James Montgomery Band. Their 1991 album The Oven Is On features Paul’s finest recorded work as a blues guitarist and in a 1990 profile, The Nice Paper proclaimed him “A Sideman For All Seasons.” From there, he joined the Duke Robillard Band as second guitarist. In a review of their 1994 album Duke’s Blues, George Graham of WVIA singled out Paul as “…(a guitarist) who really understands the concept of rhythm guitar in the tradition of (Count Basie’s) Freddie Green.” Paul’s career ended tragically that year when he passed away suddenly in Brazil at age 40 while on tour with Duke. His legacy is guaranteed by the three internationally released recordings he left behind and by the indelible impression he left on the Rhode Island music scene.
For 2018, the Hall of Fame Board decided to revisit the “Sideman” category and this year’s honoree is the late, great Paul Murphy. Growing up in Pawtucket in the 1960s, Paul was inspired by the British Invasion bands and began delving into the Blues, Jazz and R&B roots of his Rock ’n’ Roll and Soul heroes. By the mid-1970s, he was considered not only a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of all. He became a member of the popular R&B dance band Tabagi which explored the rhythmic aspects of world music from Reggae to Funk to Afro-Latin. He next joined saxophonist Greg Abate’s jazz-fusion group Channel One which recorded the critically acclaimed Without Boundaries in 1981. He spent most of the ‘80s as guitarist for The Groovemasters who explored similar territory to Tabagi, but with the emphasis more on the American aspects of Funk and Soul. In the early ‘90s, he joined the James Montgomery Band. Their 1991 album The Oven Is On features Paul’s finest recorded work as a blues guitarist and in a 1990 profile, The Nice Paper proclaimed him “A Sideman For All Seasons.” From there, he joined the Duke Robillard Band as second guitarist. In a review of their 1994 album Duke’s Blues, George Graham of WVIA singled out Paul as “…(a guitarist) who really understands the concept of rhythm guitar in the tradition of (Count Basie’s) Freddie Green.” Paul’s career ended tragically that year when he passed away suddenly in Brazil at age 40 while on tour with Duke. His legacy is guaranteed by the three internationally released recordings he left behind and by the indelible impression he left on the Rhode Island music scene.