Keith Murphy

Friday, June 21st, the summer solstice, we went to a concert given by Keith Murphy at Next Stage in Putney. We hadn't been at Next Stage for a while. Keith is a favorite performer - he was born in Newfoundland, and specializes in Cajun music, though his repertoire is not limited to Cajun. He usually is an acoustic musician, but this time he went electric with a band, and had just released a CD in the same mode, Bright as Amber. It was a bit reminiscent of when Bob Dylan went all electric, but Keith didn't get the pushback Bob Dylan got. It was a very enjoyable concert. His band included Anand Nayak, who is a Grammy-nominated producer and multi-instrumentalist who crafts beautifully sensitive and atmospheric textures on electric guitar; Richie Barshay who has played with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Natalie Merchant, and Bobby McFerrin, is member of the Klezmatics, and is a drummer of astounding range and musicality; Ty Gibbons is an acclaimed composer for film and TV, and a member of the Vermont indie folk band Red Heart the Ticker. As an acoustic bass player, he melds an understanding of traditional folk song with his other wide-ranging musical talents. Keith was very excited to bring this fresh and unique combination of musicians to Next Stage for a debut performance. Keith also called up his wife, Beck Tracy, fiddle, to join in on several numbers.

Keith Murphy with his band and his wife, Becky Tracy, at Next Stage.