Roxanne Howe Murphy

Mark Howe Murphy was an American jazz singer based at various times in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and San Francisco. He recorded 47 albums under his own name during his lifetime and was principally known for his innovative vocal improvisations. "Rah" is his 1961 studio album, arranged by Ernie Wilkins. This was Murphy's first Riverside Records album, and he is supported by an orchestra including such luminaries as Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Urbie Green, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry and Jimmy Cobb.

Throughout her storied career, composer and music activist Mary Howe elevated the status of women composers and the Washington DC music scene and gained notoriety for her orchestral works. Many of her pieces for smaller ensembles, however, remain unpublished. On BETWEEN US, premiere recordings of Howe’s duos at last see the light of day and showcase her knack for drawing out the melodic qualities and dynamic timbres of the piano, voice, and stringed instruments. The pieces transcend time, simultaneously pulling from the sensibility and formal structures of romanticism and 20th-century idioms, spanning and bridging the gaps that typically pigeonhole music into a specific milieu.

A modernisation of Edmond Rostands "Cyrano De Bergerac". C.D. Bales is a fire chief, who just happens to have an enormous nose. He hires a new fire-fighter, Chris, who is handsome, and knows his hoses, but is useless when it comes to women. Roxanne is an astronomer who has just arrived in town. She catches the eye of Chris, and he asks C.D. to help him woo her. Little does Chris know that C.D. is mad about Roxanne, but hasn't found the right way to tell her - yet.

ROXANNE hails from Riverside, California, founded in the mid-eighties by vocalist Jamie Brown and bass player Joe Infante. Roxanne plays partying American melodic hard rock music at it's finest with cleverly well written songs and excellent musicianship. Roxanne is the great lost classic of 80s rock. Great, great album! From the vocals to the guitar and the hard, driving drum beat! Pick it up if you can find it. This band sounds like a mixture of Tesla, Aerosmith, Kingdom Come and Dokken. Highly recommended!!