As a composer and a guitarist,  J.J. Murphy brings a soulful vitality to contemporary music.  His sound is an effortless blend of folk, blues, rock and jazz, with covers drawing from Thelonious Monk to Radiohead.

“JJ is an inspiring guitarist well versed in many styles, but he made me fall in love with blues and slide guitar all over again,” Dave Abear (Melvin Seals and JGB).

Nashville based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Ryan Connors (Hozier), defines  Murphy's style as, “the blues-inspired rawness of Eric Clapton with the jazz vocabulary and sensitivity of Bill Frisell.”  

Murphy earned an M.M. in  performance from Belmont University in Nashville in 2014, where he studied with guitarist/composer Mike Valeras. Since then, Murphy has traveled the country playing small clubs to stadiums—from NYC’s historic Rockwood Music Hall to The Fox Theatre in Boulder.

In 2022, J.J. relocated to Denver, CO where he has been working as a solo artist, sideman, a session musician and private teacher.

Kristian Matsson (Tallest Man on Earth) and J.J. Murphy backstage at the Bluebird Festival in Boulder, CO. 2025