Comments on: Blues Birthday Bash: Matt “Guitar” Murphy Is Back

By: Hermitbiker

Hermitbiker — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:29:05 +0000

WOW... This is great... there's just so many guitarists... I remember from my younger years... then poof... brain fart !! So many I've missed for a lot of years !! Thanks Blues Blogger for getting my "gray matter" jogged back to ones that were there at the beginning of "never ending blues adventure" through my life!! Whew... 8o years old now... I'll have to run some searches now... just to catch up with what I've missed from Matt "Guitar" Murphy !! Thanks Blues Blogger for this "tribute" here... for him !!

By: Ken McGee

Ken McGee — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:41:50 +0000

Got to meet Matt when I was a bouncer in Key West, He played at Sloppy Joe's a couple of times a year. He is a wonderful, gentle man who always had time to talk. Talent to spare.

By: The Blues Blogger

The Blues Blogger — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:04:39 +0000

Thanks Marc and Nap for your comments. Its much appreciated!!!

By: Nap

Nap — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:14:33 +0000

That is great news. Thanks for posting this. (nice blog by the way). He used to play in Chicago at the now defunct B.L.U.E.S. Etc. back in the early 90s when I first got into blues music. I recall one night that we went to see him there in a snow storm. Being a bunch of poor college kids we knew we couldn't afford to buy more than a couple of drinks in there after paying the cover so we picked up a 6 pack and hid it in the snow in an alley. When we got there there, it was a small crowd but Matt played his heart out. I had seen him on the Blues Brothers but that movie really didn't show his ability. He had so many ideas on guitar and it was all on display in the small combo he was leading. After the set ended he we walked out to retrieve the beer before it was completely lost to the snow. We started heading for the door but Matt intercepted us and said, "Where do you guys think you're going? I have another set!" We quickly told him about the beer and he cracked a huge grin and he said, "Well drink one for me but get your butts back here when you're done". So we quickly ducked out, drank the beer as instructed, and returned to see the second set which was even better than the first. After the show was over, I walked up to Matt and said, "I told you we were coming back" and he smiled and said that he was just putting us on but was happy we came back. We ended up talking to him for what seemed like forever (it was probably just 5 to 10 minutes). He could have blown us off - he was obviously tired having just driven in that morning. Insead he sat there politely answering our inane questions (believe me some of my companions asked some questions that made cringe) and joked around with us. This is one of my favorite blues memories both for the music and because he was good to a few dumb kids who happened to sneak into a bar to see him play. Nap

By: Marc

Marc — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:55:40 +0000

Mat "Guitar" Murphy is one of my favorite guitar players of all time. Caught his act a while back at the "Red Barn" in Louisville Kentucky. I swear he played 3 hours with out taking a break.