* En anglais uniquement
Spud Murphy had a long career in music, being important to jazz in two very different periods. He studied clarinet and trumpet (the latter with
Red Nichols' father). He played with Jimmy Joy (1927-28), Ross Gorman and in 1928 recorded on oboe with
Slim Lamar in 1928. Always more important as a composer-arranger than as an instrumentalist, Murphy contributed arrangements during the 1930-34 period to the bands of Austin Wylie,
Jan Garber, Mal Hallett and Joe Haymes among others. He was a major staff arranger for
Benny Goodman during 1935-37 and also wrote charts for the
Casa Loma Orchestra. Murphy led his own big band during the 1937-40 period, recording 14 selections for Decca and Bluebird in 1938-39.
Spud Murphy settled in Los Angeles in the 1940's, wrote for the studios and developed an influential 12-tone system. Although primarily involved with classical music and movie work from the mid-1940's on, Murphy did record two adventurous jazz sets (for GNP/Crescendo in 1955-57 and Gone With The Woodwinds for Contemporary in 1955) that displayed his 12-tone ideas with top West Coast jazz musicians. ~ Scott Yanow