BILL MURPHY

COMPOSER, ARRANGER, & PRODUCER

Bill Murphy is a composer, arranger, producer, performer, and educator who grew up in Florida and was an Army brat. He graduated from Melbourne High School, under the direction of the great Andre Arrouet, then spent two years at Brevard Community College being taught by Nat Baggarly and Marion Scott. During the summer of 1977 he performed with the Walt Disney All American College Band at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista Florida. While at Disney he and the band worked with performers like Arnie Lawrence, Jack Jones, Urby Green, Frank Comstock, and Carol Lawrence.

After his stint with the AACB he joined the United States Air Force band where he spent the next 20 years. He was the director of the Commanders Jazz Ensemble at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California when he retired and had previously directed the jazz band in the Keesler Air Force Band in Biloxi, Mississippi.

After Bill retired from the Air Force he moved to Madison, Mississippi, where he spent the next 20 years developing music programs that introduced young musicians to jazz and the professional musicians who pursued this art form. Having seen the value of letting young musicians hear professionals perform, learned as far back as his junior high school years and furthered from his experience at Disney, Bill sought to bring young players into the presence of professionals.

He produced three years of what he called the 'Summer Jazz' camps where his vision could be realized, thanks to Cindy and Beth. It is during this time that the recordings you will hear were produced.

Bill has performed with the Airmen of Note, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra Jr., the Army Jazz Ambassadors, 'Hello Dollie' with Carol Channing, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Frankie Valli, The Beatles Tour, Bob Hope, Wayne Newton, to name but a few.