As a composer and a guitarist, J.J. Murphy brings a soulful vitality to contemporary music. His sound is a contemplative blend of jazz, blues, and folk -often channeling modern luminaries such as Bill Frisell and Ry Cooder while evoking music from the traditional American vernacular. Frequent collaborator Ryan Connors (Dynamo) defines Murphy’s style as “the blues-inspired rawness of Eric Clapton with the jazz vocabulary and sensitivity of Bill Frisell.”

Murphy earned an M.M. in performance from Belmont University in Nashville in 2014, where he studied with guitarist/composer Mike Valeras. Murphy has traveled the country, playing venues large and small—from NYC’s historic Rockwood Music Hall to Nashville’s legendary 3rd & Lindsley—captivating audiences with his versatile style.

Since 2019, J.J. has been performing alongside Deirdre McCarthy, best known as the multi-talented fiddle player and vocalist from one of Colorado’s best known acts, Woodshed Red. Backed by Dylan Teifer on keys and vocals, Jiho Han on bass and Alex Johnson on drums, the project plays original music as well as material by artists ranging from Hank Williams to Nirvana.