Category Archives: Paul Murphy

Paul was first bitten by the DJ bug in the late 70’s when he was promoting a club night The Kingswood Club and the DJ didn’t turn up due to inclement weather. A string of Chitlin’ Circuit gigs followed till the big moment finally arrives with the opening JAFFAS at The Horseshoe ,Tottenham Court Road London W1. The club was the first to mix jazz that fitted the dance floor moves of the infant Jazz Dance scene.
Further mishaps and adventures followed including a year running a shop (Fusion Records) in Clerkenwell and promoting a concert at the YMCA featuring Brazilian singer/pianist Tania Maria.

In 1984 to 1986 Paul ran Palladin Records which released the now seminal Venceremos by London based collective Working Week. He also released LP’s by Tommy Chase, Jimmy Mcgriff and Phil Upchurch amongst many others. He also put together three compilations, Jazz Club Volumes 1 & 2 in the UK and Jazz Club For Beginners in Japan.

Paul Murphy was also the first WIRE Magazine DJ of the Year in 1985.

Eddie Piller of Acid Jazz rediscovered Paul in Ireland after his mysterious disappearance from the club scene at the beginning of the 90’s. Paul took up his offer of a residency at the much missed Blue Note club in London’s Hoxton Square.This put Paul right back in the spotlight and soon offers to record and DJ were pouring in and Paul was soon running Afro Art Records, the London based label founded by former Ballistic Brother Ashley Beedle. See Afro Art for releases.

After yet another long hiatus from the music business Paul returned in 2019 with the first release on his own Jazz Room Records label,re-issuing the in demand and super rare LP by Hugo Heredia “Mananita Pampera” as the first release. See Jazz Room Records

Now Paul is DJing regularly again and putting together Jazz compilations called, naturally enough, The Jazz Room for BBE Records.

John Lamkin

“Jazz Room Records kicks off 2025 with a massive scorcher.
welcomed reissue of trumpeter John Lamkin’s extremely rare 1984 jazz-funk album appropriately titled, Hot”

Label: JazzRoom Records
Catalogue Number: JAZZR041
Release Date: Digital album releases March 7, 2025
Format: LP Vinyl / Digital

Brilliant from start to finish, this 6-track recording incorporates everything from heavy blend of funky jazz grooves and soaring trumpet solos, to Latin rhythms, and boogie-inspired bass lines. Standout tracks include the jazz dance heater “Ticket”, the Brazilian-tinged “722”, the laid-back jazz-funk bopper “Aiya”, and the soulful “Flower” to name a few. With original copies now going for $200-300, it’s great to see this incredible recording receiving a proper reissue release. Don’t walk, run to snatch up a copy when this one hits the record

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Paul Murphy – Jazz Room

PAUL MURPHY PRESENTS:COPA SALVO コパサルーヴォ


JAZZ ROOM RECORDS – JAZZR 040 RELEASED 23/11/2024

I took a trip to the If Music Store, 2nd Floor, above the paint shop and that got me hooked on the sound of COPA SALVO.

“You NEED this!” said Jean-Claude. “They’re an amazing and unique Jazzy Combo from Japan!” But at the time I was stuck in some dead end Gulag job getting things together for the launch of a record label idea I’d been working on and the bobs were just not in abundance. Especially in the part of the wallet marked “Japanese Vinyl Import Department”. But he gave it a spin and I was pretty much hooked from that day on.

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Aflex Combo

“Hibaros” / “Something Blue”

Label: Jazz Room Records 
Catalogue Number: JAZZR 039
Release Date: July 2024  
Format:  7’ Vinyl

Japanese Producer and multi-instrumentalist Keisuke Yamazoe’s outfit Aflex Combo are a super jazzy jazz-funk outfit whose occasional releases are always incendiary. Jazz Room Records are pleased to release this special cover of the underground club classic “Hibaros” by B&G Rhythm (Donny Beck & Steve Gutierrez and featuring Bobby Lyle!) and after one listen you will agree that this is a must-check 45! Over on the flip is “Something Special”, a Latin-tinged jazz-funk number that’s every bit as essential as the floor rocking A-side.

Paul Murphy
https://jazzroomrecords.com/

Ariel

Label: Jazzroom    
Catalogue Number: LP JAZZR 031
Release Date: February 2024 
Format: LP Vinyl

A Jazz Dance Favourite that Jazz Room Records Head Honcho Paul Murphy was hepped to by Brownswood and 6Music Jazz Supremo Gilles Peterson at the 20th Birthday Bash of London’s most Underground of Clubs: Shiftless Shuffle.

Murphy: “I’d quite forgotten all about it, but when I saw the reaction on the dancefloor it was “Mental Note Time, get on the case for a full investigation and let’s see some Vinyl re-issue action!”

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Blue Mode / El Chavo

“Smells Like Teen Spirt” / “Hola Muneca”

Label: Jazzroom 
Catalogue Number: JAZZR 032
Release Date: 23rd January 2024
Format: 7’

The A-Side is one of the biggest tunes from the grunge era and is given a Jazzy Funky Groovey version by Blue Mode. Nirvana were influenced by everything from The Gap Band to Louie Louie and a fair smattering of 80’s indie and this production by Chip Wickham mix’s in a swinging ‘60s’ Blue Note vibe with Acid Jazz sound and brings it bang up to date with Nu-Jazz experience.  First time on 45 and is already a DJ favourite after being included in Paul Murphy set”Jazz Room on BBE Records.

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Danny Ward & Reality

Label: Jazz Room Records
Catalogue Number: JAZZ027
Release Date: 29th September 2023 
Format: LP

Another Holy Grail album from Jazz Room Records with Danny Ward & Reality who were the Go To Funky Jazz Band for College and other Hardcore Funk Party gigs in the Mid to late ’70’s in the Seattle area of the Pacific North West. They didn’t just drop covers of the latest Disco or Top 40 hits though but instead took their audiences on a musical trip through the Funkiest and Jazziest sounds of the day featuring a coterie of Steely Dan inspired covers of cuts made famous by George Benson, Lydia Pense and Coldblood, The Headhunters , Mandrill and many more.

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ONEGRAM

“TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS” ​/​ “AEO”

Label: Jazz Room Records
Catalogue Number: JAZZ029
Release Date: September 2023 
Format: EP

When we do something Funky at Jazz Room Records you can be sure it’s gonna be a Dancefloor Smashsation! Got TWO Super Dynamic cuts on this Hot Slab of Wax. First track needs no introduction unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the last Dancefloor Millenium.

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Hideo Shiraki

Plays Bossa Nova

Label:Jazzroom Records
Catalogue Number: JAZZR-025
Release Date: 23rd  June 2023  
Format: Vinyl LP Only

Hideo Shiraki travelled to the US from Japan in 1962 and was bowled over by Horace Silver and the Bossa Nova Craze happening at the same time. When he returned to Japan he went straight into the studio and cut this Blue Note inspired Japanese Jazz Masterpiece.

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Colin Curtis Presents: Indigo Jam Unit

“My passion for Japanese jazz started way back in the 1970s and was fueled even more as the decade went on with the evolution of jazz dance in the UK’s burgeoning jazz funk scene. As jazz breaks emerged in the jazz rooms, the demand for danceable jazz music in the UK kept growing. Through scouring the record shops in Manchester, Birmingham, and London, the emergence of great Japanese jazz added another dimension to this genre. My love for Japanese jazz continued until the turn of the century when the names changed from Sadao Watanabe, Mikio Masuda, Casiopea, Toshiyuki Honda, Shigeharu Mukai, and the like to the new emerging nu-jazz bands like Sleep Walker, Quasimode, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Jabberloop, and in 2006, the powerful force that was the indigo jam unit!

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