Biography Turk Murphy

Melvin Edward Alton “Turk” Murphy was born in Palermo, California, December 16, 1915. He was most renowned as a trombonist who played traditional and dixieland jazz in San Francisco at Earthquake Magoons night club.

Murphy served in the Navy during World War II, during which time he played and recorded with Lu Watters and Bunk Johnson, among others. In 1952 he headed his own band, consisting of himself, Wally Rose playing piano, Bob Helm playing clarinet, Dick Lammi strumming the banjo, and Bob Short with a tuba.

In '79, now famous horn man Bob Schultz was asked by Turk Murphy to join him, and stayed with the band for eight years. The band broke up with the death of Turk Murphy in 1987, not long after one of the highest points in Turk Murphy's career, a stellar performance at Carnegie Hall in January of that year.

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