Chris Murray has always been a prolific composer. In the 90s, he was at the service of King Aparattus, the biggest name in the history of Canadian ska. Once, on his ventures further south on the continent, the guitarist passed through Venice Beach in sunny California, liked the climate and stayed there. The new home coincided with the explosion of the 3rd wave of ska, in the mid-90s. It was at that time that, with guitar in hand and a simple recorder, he surprised everyone.
He knocked on the doors of Moon Records in New York and delivered, ready, the phenomenal "The 4-track adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris", the first "acoustic" album of world ska. The initial strangeness of a raw and absolutely lo-fi record soon turned into charm and won everyone over. Murray, à la Manu Chao in these recent phases, was the attraction of every good ska and reggae show. In Los Angeles, where he leads the main Jamaican music nights in the city, many point to him as the best "one man ska band on the planet". It is no wonder that his songs are recorded by top artists of world ska and reggae, from the Slackers and Hepcat to the exquisite Afterhours.
Another curiosity of some of Murray's works is the low cost of his recordings. The album "Raw", for example, consumed only 12 dollars - including batteries, according to the composer himself. Here in Brazil, Radiola releases "So Many Roads", a compilation of sixteen tracks with the best of his four albums, released in different versions in Europe and Japan. The record includes only one song recorded with a full band. All the others feature Murray on guitar, bass, drums and organ.
In Brazil at the invitation of Radiola Records Chris Murray performed in January/2006 in São Paulo (SESC Pompéia) and Rio de Janeiro (Teatro Odisséia). In the cities, he charmed everyone with his friendliness and the strength of his songs, which gained the attention and respect of all. Chris is interested in learning a bit more Portuguese and should return to Brazil in October, bringing his simplicity again to the most varied audiences.