Ronan Murphy is an Irish jazz singer, songwriter and poet. With a soulful tone and a natural sense of swing, Murphy's voice has a uniquely contemporary edge but a classic jazz feel, and has drawn comparisons to both Chet Baker and Cab Calloway, though he cites Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday as his formative influences. His mesmerising improvisatory style, replete with melodic and rhythmic inventiveness, marks him out as one of the most exciting jazz vocalists to appear in recent years. A published poet with a singular lyrical gift, Murphy has added original words to several jazz instrumentals, including Charlie Parker's Moose the Mooche and John Coltrane's Central Park West, both of which appear on his new album The Temple Sessions, recorded with bassist Ryan Molloy, guitarist Shugo Ishii and drummer Eoghan McCloskey
Murphy met New York bassist Ryan Molloy while jamming on the Dublin jazz scene, and sensed an immediate musical kinship. Molloy, newly arrived in Ireland, had cut his teeth on the New York circuit, studying under various teachers, including Ron Carter. Discovering a shared passion for the obscurer songs of the swing era, and a hunger to rejuvenate and expand the repertoire, Murphy and Molloy forged a deep and abiding creative partnership. Their mutual connection to Trinity College Dublin (where Murphy studied English Literature for his B.A. and Masters) led to their first performance with the Trinity Jazz Society, followed by well-received shows in Whelan's and The Workman's Club. The addition of Shugo Ishii on guitar, who brought a refined and highly personal expressiveness, and Eoghan McCloskey on drums, who brought a rhythmic fluency and distinct interpretive finesse, completed the line-up and created a compelling sonic blend
Their album The Temple Sessions—recorded in Dublin's Sun Studios with producer Mikey Rogers—invites listeners on an immersive journey through the full sweep of jazz history. Murphy and his trio have cast their net deep and wide, infusing familiar classics with fresh energy whilst bringing unfamiliar songs and new influences to the fore. Simultaneously retro and contemporary, this is a record that bridges eras and effortlessly blends genres, incorporating the music of both John Coltrane and Fats Waller—not to mention 60s protest song and the film music of Alex North—to create a multifaceted musical experience
New single ‘Idle Moments (Ghosted)’—a quiet detour from the ongoing release of The Temple Sessions—finds Murphy at his most emotionally bare. A stripped-back version of a classic jazz melody, sung with Murphy's original lyrics, it carries a quiet, unadorned intimacy, and offers a first glimpse of a new body of lyricised instrumentals
San Polo Press