Jim Murray

    Jim Murray has been around the British blues scene for more years than he would care to admit to. Serving a long apprenticeship in the lively folk club scene of the mid sixties right up to his life long collaboration with fellow geordie Peter Mason in the veteran duo, the Hokum Hotshots. Early years where spent in running the South Tyne Folk and Blues Club in South Shields, where Jim booked and played with most of the British blues scene of the time, and a fair smattering of American bluesmen. As a young player he was instrumental in booking, and even got to play with, Mississippi Fred McDowell, this had a profound impact and the slide guitarist continues to be one of Jim's major influences.

 Along the way there have been other ventures with other players, Jim worked as a duo with harp virtuoso Rob Mason for a few years, in a successful trio "Pigmeat" with one man band Ray Stubbs and the sadly missed geordie actor Sammy (Ronnie) Johnson. Another duo with harp whizz kid Martin Fletcher touring all over Europe and hitting a lot of blues festivals.

Jim plays acoustic guitars of all shapes and sizes, see the gallery pictures, National Steel and other resonator guitars, mandolins and an ever increasing array of lap steels. Current favourites are old parlor guitars made in the early part of last century by the likes of Stella and Lyon and Healy. These are the guitars the old bluesmaen actually played, cheap and very loud! There have been several dips into electric blues and Jim still plays a beat old Harmony Rocket and an old National Californian through an old National amp sometimes.

The music is from all over America, with a focus on the Delta blues from the likes of Fred McDowell, Son House, Charlie Patton and of course Robert Johnson. Texas blues players have had a large influence on Jim's style, you can hear Lightning Hopkins and Mance Libscomb in there somewhere. Memphis blues from the Memphis Jug Band and Frank Stokes figure largely as do Tampa Red and Casey Bill Weldon. The list goes on and on, suffice to say that out of all of these styles and on whatever instrument he plays, Jim has his own distinctive style. People recognise the sound as they pass by a gig.
    
The Hokums continue to perform all over the country and in Europe, but of late Jim has felt an urge to go solo, last year saw very well received appearances at various Blues Festivals, with good reviews. 

A solo album "My time to be alone" is out in June 2007, just Jim, no added performers.