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Is there any other place more beautiful on the West Coast than Carmel California? I am not quite sure but, I know that every time that I am there, I feel different about life. Being surrounded by sunshine, fresh air, a gorgeous coast line and music will make you think about all the possibilities you can create.

 

KRML 1410 AM, Carmel’s jazz station, located inside the Jazz and Blues Company has a brand new address. The Jazz and Blues Company is a store that is entirely dedicated to Jazz Music. It has everything from records, CD’s, books, postcards, pins, clothing and just any type of jazz paraphernalia that you can think of. The station and store used to be located in the Crossroads shopping center but, is now situated right smack in the middle of Carmel’s art district next to the Hogsbreath in a building owned by Carmel’s most popular movie star, Clint Eastwood. It is the absolute most perfect location for publicity and exposure for jazz music.

The Jazz and Blues Company is most notably known for its intimate performance space. The store is converted to hold about 50 or so seats and some of the most prominent artist in the world of jazz have been known to share their talents here. However, this is a new stage, a new location and Black Hawk Records, run by David Kimball and Gary Hamada, is behind a major push to schedule and record artist for a new “Black Hawk Live” series.

<>First in this new series was the world renowned Mark Murphy. Known for his vocals and scat interpretations, the eclectic singer who had his first gig in 1957 with Horace Silver, preceded to sing an impressive set of tunes. The set included everything from Horace Silver’s “Senior Blues”, Miles Davis’s “Milestones”, Herbie Hancocks “Maiden Voyage” to tributes to the great Joe Williams and a number of standards which included “Autumn Leaves”, “Summertime”, “Bye Bye Blackbird”, “All Blues”, “and “On Green Dolphin Street”.


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Murphy with his short phrasing, blend of poetry and Murphalese vocal style took the music in impromptu directions going way outside the idiom but, some how always made it back to the one! At one point in the performance, Murphy stated, “I will go a long way for a groove”. The humorous singer, sometimes reminiscent of Sammy Davis Jr., combined abstract thought with short stories, beat poetry and funny jokes, to entertain his audience. Murphy was backed up by Dave Mathews on piano, Seward McCain on bass and David Rokeach on drums.

 

 

LeRoy Downs