Another Chris Murphy Gem

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Chris Murphy’s Water Under the Bridge is the latest musical opus in a career that should be increasingly identified with loftier and loftier adjectives. He’s been at the epicenter of many incredible recordings, both as band leader/songwriter and sideman, and has earned the respect of his peers in a way few do. His service as an educator, part self-supporting to be sure but equally expressive of his love for passing the music on, further burnishes his reputation. His music, however, is where it all begins and the mix of instrumentals and lyric compositions on Water Under the Bridge will prove equally satisfying to both his long standing and sizable fan base while providing a superb introduction to his gifts for any novice. This release is a wonderful variation on a string of recent studio and live releases from Murphy. It provides ample evidence that he is far from slowing down.

“Moveable Feast” kicks off Water Under the Bridge with a decidedly lyrical air. The instrumental never misses the presence of a singer and, instead, effortlessly swirls propelled by Murphy’s violin work. “Table for Two” is the first song with words on Water Under the Bridge and has much of the artfully placed humor that’s often a trademark of many Murphy compositions. His delivery for the tune is note perfect as well, highlighting his underrated strengths as a vocalist. “I Swear I’m Going to Learn This Time” is a painful title, but the music doesn’t weigh the audience down with any despairing mood, though the elegiac flavor to the tune is impossible to ignore. “My Spanish Lover” and “The Lemon Rag” definitely move in the same general musical universe, but the orbits they take could scarcely be more different and, yet, they fit well together as a change of pace. “Tomcat Blues”, however, is pure lascivious theatricality that’s impossible to not like, but Murphy and his collaborators maintain the album’s existing level of musical excellence. “Water Under the Bridge” proves to be quite a rollicking title track, cut from the dominant jazz cloth of the release, and really sparkles amongst a bevy of jewels.

The final two cuts, “Middleweight Champion” and “Cheer Up Mickey”, make for quite an ending. The former is a low down blues with desperately aching lyrics and a lonesome whine in Murphy’s voice that makes it all the more affecting. The finale, however, revisits the album’s instrumental side for a final time with “Cheer Up, Mickey”, a violin and kick drum accompanied tune that Murphy tackles with immense passion and skill. It’s another enormously successful turn for this colossus on the Americana scene.