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I know that Matt played this throughout the ’63 tour (and I’ve already colourised and posted a version from earlier in the tour Sept in Baden-Baden, Germany check it here: ) but the band are cooking on this one! This versions from the 22nd October 1963 in Manchester as part of the American Folk Blues Festival. Filmed in Studio 6 for the ’I Hear the Blues’ Granada TV special. There’s other clips from this that have been released on DVD but much of this old TV special seems to be sourced from one VHS tape. If anyone has the old black and white copy in better quality let me know! I don’t make anything colourising and putting these videos together so please support the channel with the link here if you can its greatly appreciated! Matt ’Guitar’ Murphy - Guitar Memphis Slim - Piano Willie Dixon - Bass Bill Stepney - Drums Probably best known for playing behind the Blues Brothers (and appearing prominently in their 1980 hit movie), Matt “Guitar“ Murphy deserves enshrinement in the blues guitar hall of fame anyway. His jazz-tinged, stunningly advanced riffing behind Memphis Slim elevated the towering pianist’s 1950s output for United and Vee-Jay Records to new heights. Guitar playing ran in the Murphy household (which moved from Mississippi to Memphis when Matt was a toddler). Matt and his brother Floyd both made a name for themselves on the early-’50s Memphis scene (that’s Floyd on Little Junior Parker & the Blue Flames’ 1953 Sun waxings of “Feelin’ Good“ and “Mystery Train“). Matt played with Howlin’ Wolf as early as 1948 (harpist Little Junior Parker was also in the band at the time). Murphy added hot licks to early sides by Parker and Bobby Bland for Modern before latching on with Memphis Slim’s House Rockers in 1952. Murphy’s consistently exciting guitar work graced Slim’s United recordings from 1952-1954 and his 1958-1959 sides for Vee-Jay. Another solid Memphis Slim LP for Strand in 1961 and dates with Chuck Berry, Otis Rush, Sonny Boy Williamson, Etta James, and the Vibrations at Chess preceded Murphy’s memorable appearance on the 1963 American Folk Blues Festival tour of Europe (along with Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Lonnie Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Victoria Spivey, and Willie Dixon). On that pioneering tour (promoted by Lippmann and Rau), Murphy commanded the spotlight with his “Matt’s Guitar Boogie“ shown here that showcased his ultra-clean rapid-fire picking as shown here. If any videos get blocked I tend to post them on my other social media platforms, so have a look if you don’t want to miss anything! All links are here: #colourised #blues #bluesmusic #bluesmusician #pianoblues #piano #pianomusic #bluesguitarist #gibson335 #williedixon #billstepney #mattmurphy #mattguitarmurphy #memphisslim #1963 #americancfolkbluesfestival #guitarblues #bluesguitarist #bluesguitar #bluesguitarlicks #gibson335
