Shaun Murphy - Reason To Try  (click on image to watch video)

 31 July 2019

Shaun Murphy’s career spans the history of American classic rock. The former Broadway actress’ first musical break came in 1971 as Stoney, a young Meatloaf’s singing partner. She later joined Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band and collaborated with Eric Clapton on his 1985 album Behind the Sun and its world tour. From 1993 to 2009, she fronted the legendary Southern rock band Little Feat. You could seriously build a stacked vinyl collection just by playing three degrees of separation with Murphy’s career.

Since leaving Little Feat, Murphy has performed rootsy, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll as a solo artist. That decade-plus run of award-winning blues cuts and rock-reviving stompers continues with her latest album, Reason to Cry.

The album offers something for fans of every phase of Murphy’s career. Opening track “Hurt Me Good” builds off Southern rock’s relationship with organ-driven gospel music and the very secular vibes of funk. “Turn Me On,” a cover of brilliant Nashville outsider J Edwards, reflects her bluesy rock past. A little later in the album, “Can’t Blame Nobody But Me” crosses the sometimes interconnected worlds of jazz and the blues. Better yet, “Don’t Come Crying to Me” and “Welcome to Bluesville” bring no-frills blues—No hyphenated, arbitrary sub-genre qualifiers needed.

The term “vocal powerhouse” gets tossed around a lot, especially when a lady sings the blues or any of its rock offshoots. It’s hard not to apply it to Murphy after considering her past and digesting her current set of songs. As a matter of fact, if there’s ever a dictionary of rock clichés, Murphy’s picture belongs right next to the “vocal powerhouse” definition. Quite a few living legends, from Seger and Clapton to vocal Murphy supporter Bonnie Raitt, might just second that emotion if that project ever hits a crowdfunding site.

Bobby Moore

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