Terry Murphy: Press

Live like an Artist by Terry Murphy

This CD by Terry Murphy creates a mood and sound very much in the
tradition of our greatest folksingers. There is a nice combination of fun
songs, protest songs and songs defining the human condition. The two
leadoff songs” Holy Moly”, “Catfish Bay” are statements about how to enjoy
life by simply enjoying what’s around you. While “The Sod It Ain’t No
More” sounds like it was written by Woody Guthrie in Oklahoma during the
Great Depression. And Terry is not afraid to include the names of the
nasty folks responsible for the tragedy he speaks of in this song.

The whole disk is full of great melodies with powerful words as Murphy
speaks his mind about issues great and small. I guarantee you will be
humming these tunes after you hear ‘em.

In the song “American Music” I love the fact that Terry doesn’t take the
high road by condemning our society because everything we buy is made
elsewhere. He acknowledges that he “drives a foreign car” with foreign
tires and wears clothes made in Norway or Guatemala. The song simply says
we live in global community and we Americans should be proud of our
contribution to that community. Our music and our culture – as well as
our craving for freedom are among our greatest contributions to the world.
An acknowledgement of “banjos hail from Burlington” is a great nod to a
fellow picker who makes banjos in Murphy’s home town. This song is a
highlight for me.

“Another Day for Redemption” is an optimistic tune with a feeling can’t
help but get you going each morning. If I’m smart I will play it at the
start of each day. Just to fire me up!

We need more CD’s filled with songs like these that convey an optimistic
outlook in spite of the times we live in. I absolutely love this disk.





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September - October
2006
A Bimonthly Publication
of the Burlington Area
Arts Council, Inc.
Terry Murphy Releases CD "Live Like An Artist"
Local musician Terry Murphy performed his original folk music
on August 13 to a crowd at the Daily Brew Coffeehouse in
Burlington to introduce the release of his new CD, "Live Like An
Artist." The 2006 release on the Sleeping Dog Records, Inc. label
was recorded at USUW Studios at UW-Whitewater.
Performing with Murphy were Jeff Peterson and John Spitzer, providing
over two hours of musical entertainment.
Murphy chatted his way through a repertoire of tunes that included
social and political commentary, personal events, love ballads,
and reflections. A teacher himself, Murphy plays by invitation at
area schools for all ages, and states that "there's nothing finer than
to play music for a whole bunch of kindergarten kids." He sees a
renaissance back to the roots of folk music, "a simpler kind of
music from the heart."
Murphy's melodies and lyrics are there for the listener to absorb
and enjoy. He sings about his mistakes, love for family, fun, stories,
and fears. Among his notables, "Another Day for
Redemption," has unique, quirky lyrics, which he sings with a
smile, inspired partially by the family's "ten-thousand dollar golden
retriever," a costly animal due to health expenses! "American Music," says Murphy, "is about how music is
our best export." The song was played on a Belgian Roots radio music program and contains the insightful
lyrics "…coffee comes from the Daily Brew…from
Burlington…but the music's from the 50 states…."
Some of Murphy's music utilizes fancy instrumental
work on guitar, mandolin, and banjo, as well as great
lyrics.
What about the title track? It means when his wife is
out of town, Murphy still leaves his guitars, and
probably more, lying around.
To order the CD, visit Murphy's website at
http://www.terrymurphymusic.com/home.html. To
hear samples of the tunes, go to
https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/terrymurphy.

Sleeping Dog Records and the new release of Live like an Artist was mentioned in the winter edition of the famous Sing Out folk music magazine.

The concert with Terry Murphy and Jared Nichols is highlighted