His Story

John Murphy was born into an Army family, traveling extensively as a youth, absorbing music and culture from around the world.

At age 16 he got his first electric guitar and formed a high school rock band, playing dances and house parties.

Later, as a teenager, the hunger to understand and learn music at a deeper level led to a summer stint at The National Stage Band Camp at the University of Connecticut, where for the first time he came into contact with instructors from Berklee College of Music. That experience led shortly thereafter to enrollment at Berklee, where his musical hunger found a new level of inspiration.

While at Berklee, John taught guitar at local music stores while playing clubs on the weekends. After enduring several brutal New England winters (aren't they all?), he got a phone call from a fellow student who had left for LA a few months earlier, inviting him to "come stay with me till you get a gig".

Shortly after arriving in LA, John took to the road as a sideman for celebrities like Debbie Reynolds and Rip Taylor, with stints in 16-piece bands. When back in town, he played at legendary Shelly's Mann Hole with fusion bands, did occasional recording sessions, and took on arranging jobs — gaining experience and paying dues along the way.

Over the years John has had the opportunity to play and record with LA's finest studio and jazz musicians, including Pete Christlebe, Jim Keltner, John Klemmer, Earnie Watts, Willie BoBo, Tim Weisberg, Dick Halligan, Jerry Hyman, Tom Peterson, Mike Price, Milcho Leviev, Charles Owens, Thurman Greene, Tom Garvin, Bob Conti, Wayne Boyer, Harvey Mason, Miraslav Vitos, Andy Martin, and Carmello Garcia.