After a long hiatus from recording my original music I am happy to announce that I'll be going into the studio in early Oct 2025 to record with Chris Lee on drums and Shawn Wang on bass. This music will be available on streaming platforms later this year so please check back later!

Unfortunately, my recordings as a leader, shown below, are out of print but hopefully the reviews give you a sense of where the music is at.

Liquify

Duo with bassist Scott Thornton recorded in 2002 for RIMWorks Music.

Guitarist Mike Murray and bassist Scott Thornton engage in a thoughtful set of duos that consist of six improvisations, two compositions by Murray ("Points" and "Excerpt #4") and an adaptation of Charles Ives' "Soliloquy". Murray plays both acoustic and electric guitars and he uses electronics to augment his guitar work. Murray doesn't just use them to wow the listener with whiz-bang effects, but mainly to vary his tone from a brittle staccato attack to lush reverberating string work (particularly noticeable is the way he lets chords linger toward the end of the first improvisation). Thornton's bass has a big, woody tone and he plays his instrument with a forceful intensity. His arco work really stands out. On "Points" his low, dolorous lines complement Murray nicely from the arpeggiated opening to the harmonics that conclude the piece. The general tenor of these duets is one of thoughtful interplay. They're two players who seem to know each other well and are listening intently to each other. As the title suggests, the music ebbs and flows with swirls and eddies. Liquify is an engaging listen.

-- Robert Iannapollo - Cadence Magazine

An adventurous, deep listening experience. Obviously these guys know each other well. They listen deeply but not the kind where one waits for the other and just reacts but instead there is an underlying intensity that continually builds, swirls, rolls around in any direction. Sometimes melodic and flowing, other times jagged and abstract this recording holds up (and even gets better) with each listen.

--Jon Randall

Mike Murray Quintet - Vista

Original compositions and extended improvisations with James Hunt on trumpet, Steve Marien tenor and clarinet, Scott Thornton bass and Randall Colbourne drums. Recorded in 1995 on Zaabway Music.

"The sound approached a haunting beauty... compelling... when your feeling in the mood for some chaotic free playing it's worth a spin." say's Cadence Magazine.

Cycles, Time and Movement

Solo acoustic guitar recorded in 2006 for RIMworks Music.

A solo set of original compositions from a dynamic player. From the near melancholy feel of "Here and There" to the urgency and aggression in the climax of "Stitch" this disc covers wide ground. There are levels of texture, moving inner voices and harmonic shifts that enforce a focus on music for its own sake. A recommended listen.

--Dale Powell