Julie Murphy
Six Out Of Nine (EP)
Self-Released
Out Now (Digital with Ltd Edition Lino Print)
A solo release from Julie Murphy is always a precious thing, and Six Out of Nine is a small but perfectly-formed offering. In just a few songs, Julie showcases her peerless vocals, interpreting three American standards we’re maybe more used to hearing in a big band or pop setting.
Six Out Of Nine is the second release in a series of three EPs by Julie, one of the finest English folk singers on the scene, known for her work with the Welsh band Fernhill; her in-demand vocals have led to collaborations with the likes of John Cale and Afro Celt Sound System (performing a duet with Robert Plant). The first in the series, Three Out Of Nine, interpreted three 70s pop/rock songs, while this follow-up takes three American standards and breathes new life into perhaps over-familiar tunes.
The first is [It Was] A Very Good Year, written by Ervin Drake in 1961 and originally recorded by the 60s folk group, The Kingston Trio. Best known is Sinatra’s reading, but everyone from Willie Nelson to Robbie Williams, William Shatner to Homer Simpson has crooned this melancholy tune. But, by giving the song space and reverence, Julie makes it her own. It’s sparse and commanding, with her vocals to the fore and just enough accompaniment by Ceri Rhys Matthews (listen to an audio interview with Ceri here) on shruti boxes to add to the atmosphere. It’s a superb opportunity to re-evaluate the song, which essentially tells the story of a whole life in three minutes.
Slightly less familiar (to me at least) is Autumn in New York, a jazz standard composed by Vernon Duke in 1934 and best known for versions by Sinatra (again), and a duet from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. It’s even more stripped-back than the first, with just the flash of a gong by Jens Schroeder. Upfront and largely unaccompanied, Julie’s singing is simply extraordinary. It’s folk without the artifice, jazz without the wink. Pure, simple and magnificent.
And here’s the sad news; there’s only one more track on this EP. But the good news is, it’s another masterpiece. I Say a Little Prayer was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, then re-interpreted in a more exuberant version by Aretha Franklin. The song’s roots express the thoughts of a woman whose husband is serving in the Vietnam war. The current conflict nearby in Ukraine makes the song disturbingly present. And Julie channels those feelings of loss and longing, bringing the song starkly back to its origins, accompanied by shruti box, it’s another peerless performance.
Six Out Of Nine is a limited edition release recorded by Jens Schroeder, consisting of a hand-printed linocut designed by Julie and with a code for high-quality digital downloads of the tracks on the back. There are only 100 being produced, so get in quick!
Frankly, I’d love to hear Julie sing a whole album of American standards, but then, I’m also interested to find out what the next set of three songs (presumably Nine out of Nine) will be. Frankly, wherever musical path she chooses to tread will be magnificent. She’s just that good.