Shaun Murphy
"Live At Callahan's Music Hall"
Vision Wall Records
By Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro © October 2011

Due to business commitments I had to miss Shaun Murphy's previous Florida shows. Now, for the same reasons, I also must miss her upcoming trip to the Sarasota Blues Festival in November. Disappointing? Of course! However, I didn't realize just how disappointing until I listened to "Live At Callahan's Music Hall". From what I'm hearing, it's obvious the Detroit blues community was treated to a happening at this event.

The program consisted of Shaun Murphy on vocals, Larry Knight on guitar, Boyd LeFan on bass, Dave Nelson on drums, Larry Van Loon on keyboard and vocals, Laura Creamer & Barbara Peyton on background vocals, Mark Byerly & Robert Jensen on trumpet, Keith Kaminski on saxophone, John Rutherford on trombone (collectively known as the Motor City Horns) and lots of appreciative fans on clapping, hooting, hollering, and merriment.

Paying tribute to the late Burton Gaar, her friend and associate at Lonesome Road Agency, Shaun puts on a performance of his "Mississippi Water", that I know would have him grinning from ear to ear. With one more masterful than the other, her vocal strength and range just blow you away. From the way down lows to the up real highs - and all the Koko like grunts and growls in between, Shaun's all over this one. There's lots of heat from the rhythm guys, with awesome Hammond highlights by Larry.

Speaking of Koko, Shaun does a killer version of "Come To Mama", a song made very popular by the late queen of the blues. On this livelier and funkier version, the percussion created by Boyd, Dave and Larry on the bass, drums and organ are explosive. Very hot stuff.

It's amazing that a song with such beautiful and spiritual lyrics as "Amazing Grace" could sound equally beautiful and spiritual as an instrumental. This one's pretty much all about Larry and his guitar. Backed by a soft rhythm filled with piano and organ highlights, he performs absolute magic with the instrument. This is the definitive demonstration of making a guitar sing.

As Shaun said at the beginning of "Gonna Buy Me A Mule"... "Welcome to the stage the Motor City Horns". Aha! I was wondering why I hadn't heard them yet. Well, now that they're here let's get it on. Over the next several tracks Shaun's belting it out vocally, the rhythm's rocking, the Hammond's happening and the horns are blaring. Yes sir, there's a party going on at Callahan's.

The disc closes with one of the most beautiful vocal executions you'll ever hear. Yes, it helps that the song is John Hiatt's classic "It Feels Like Rain" but this could very well be the classic rendition of the song. Shaun's got all her heart, all her soul and every ounce of emotion in her body behind this one - trust me, I'm feeling it. This is eight minutes of musical bliss.

Other tracks on "Live At Callahan's Music Hall" include: "I Can Love You Like A Woman", That's What Love Will Make You Do", "Hopelessly In Love With You", "Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down", "Someone Else Is Steppin' In", "I Know Why The Sun Don't Shine", "Strongest Weakness", "Love Of Mine" and "Down In The Flood".

Right about now, I'd like to include a personal thought. As most of you know, Shemekia Copeland was recently crowned the "Queen of the Blues" by proclamation of the Chicago Blues Festival, the City of Chicago and the Governor of Illinois. Now I'm not saying that Shemekia does not deserve the title and I'm also not saying that anyone else does. However, it is my belief that if this was done by an election process, Shaun Murphy would have made a strong showing in the primaries.

For more on Shaun - and there's plenty of it - just go to www.theshaunmurphyband.com. Besides telling her the Blewzzman sent you, make sure you read her truly amazing bio.