Tamara Murphy

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Tunes by Tamara Murphy

  • Für Oigen
    Straight · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · C · 5/4
  • Lullaby
    Ballad · 2000-2010 · Easy · Instrumental · G · 3/4
  • Unwritten Law
    Afro-Cuban · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · D · 12/8
  • A Million Miles Away
    Ballad · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · Ab · 4/4
  • Largo/Allegro
    Ballad · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · Compound
  • Epilogue
    Waltz · 2000-2010 · Easy · Instrumental · E · 3/4
  • Four Days Grace
    Latin · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · C · 6/4
  • Tumbarumba
    Straight · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · G · Compound
  • Round House
    Straight · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · Compound
  • Tanuki's Revenge
    Waltz · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · A · 3/4
  • Slow Exposure
    Straight · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · B · 7/4
  • Solemn Road for Two
    Waltz · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · G · 3/4
  • Red Banana
    Straight · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · C · 4/4
  • Green Room Blues
    Straight · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · 4/4
  • Embrace
    Straight · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · A · 4/4
  • HMP
    Afro-Cuban · 2000-2010 · Medium · Instrumental · G · 2/4
  • Schrödinger Vs. The Cat
    Swing · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · B · 5/4
  • Kindness, Not Courtesy
    Ballad · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · Db · 4/4
  • Lowlights
    Ballad · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · F#/Gb · 4/4
  • Travellers
    Straight · 2010-2020 · Easy · Instrumental · A · 4/4
  • Anteloper
    Straight · 2010-2020 · Medium · Instrumental · D · 3/4

Biography

Tamara Murphy – double bass / electric bass – composition (Australia)

Tamara Murphy is a well-known bassist in Australia, known for her solid time feel and melodic soloing style. She has released 12 albums as leader/co-leader and appears on over 40 recordings by other artists. She’s toured worldwide in a variety of musical styles including jazz, pop, rock and experimental music. She is constantly in-demand in Australia, working as a siderperson in many different groups. Performing credits include Kate Miller-Heidke, Ali McGregor, Frente!, Harry Angus (The Cat Empire), Andrea Keller, Nat Bartsch, Paul Grabowsky and Stephen Magnusson.

She currently leads three projects:

Spirograph Studies – cinematic, textural experimental quartet

Tamara Murphy Trio – her jazz trio with a punk-rock sensibility

Tamara Murphy and the Golden Tone Retrievers

Tamara Murphy has been composing throughout her performing career, writing for many groups, including her quintet Murphy’s Law and the Keller-Murphy-Browne trio. In 2011 she was awarded the inaugural Young Elder of Jazz Commission, for the creation and presentation of a new work: Big Creatures & Little Creatures. This work was premiered at the 2012 Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Her compositions have appeared on albums by other artists such as Elly Hoyt, Tony Gould, Ali McGregor and Women of Soul. She has worked as a musical director and arranger for the Brunswick Music Festival, Monash University’s MLIVE Progress Festival, Women of Soul and The Wheeler Centre. In 2019, she was shortlisted for the National Live Music Awards (Best Jazz Act).

She ran her quintet Murphy’s Law for 14 years, and was a member of Keller-Murphy-Browne (with Andrea Keller and Allan Browne). She also performs and composes for other projects. Her albums have been nominated for The Age Genre Music Awards, AIR awards and The Bell Awards.

In 2019 her band, Spirograph Studies, toured around Australia and New Zealand to support the release of their debut album, Kindness Not Courtesy (shortlisted for a Music Vic Award). Their second album Lowlights (2021) was Album of the Week (ABC Jazz), highlighted on The Best Jazz on Bandcamp list (October 2021), with the single Anteloper listed as one of the Top Tracks on Feature Sounds (PBS Radio). Her latest release TMT (2022) was Album of the Week on ABC Jazz and PBS Radio.

In the lockdown of 2020, Tamara Murphy started an interview series entitled ‘Flipped Interviews’. This fun series of interviews features male musicians being asked questions previously given to female musicians. It’s a cheeky, yet inclusive way to highlight the different ways men and women are treated in our industry. Previous interviewees include Paul Grabowsky, Harry James Angus and Scott Tinker.

Tamara Murphy lectures at the Box Hill Institute and is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, exploring ensemble interaction.

 

References