About
Rod Murray
Rod Murray Trombonist- began playing at the age of twelve and by his seventeenth birthday had gained invaluable experience through his involvement in the Summerland Secondary School band program under the direction of Allan Crossley. After being named to the All Star Band and receiving a $1000 scholarship to Boston’s Berklee School of Music at Musicfest 86, Rod decided to pursue a career in music, due in no small part to the encouragement of Summerland saxophonist Larry Crawford. Deciding to stay in Canada, he moved to Edmonton in 1987 and began studying jazz at Grant MacKewen Community College under the tutelage of Bob Stroup, a gifted multi-instrumentalist who played with many notable artists including Woody Herman. Having achieved a diploma with honors, Rod continued his education at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia with Gene Smith, himself a Woody Herman alumnus and veteran of the New York club and studio scene. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz studies, again with honors, Rod spent two years working in cruise ship show bands before moving to Vancouver in 1996. In his nearly ten years here he has played in a wide variety of musical settings and is a member of several active bands in the city including the Jill Townsend Big Band, Hugh Fraser’s VEJI, the Dal Richards Orchestra, 2003 Juno nominee Rumba Calzada and most recently, Billy Dixon’s Soul Train Express. As a freelance musician he has performed with the Temptations and the Four Tops and toured extensively with Colin James and the Little Big Band from 1999 to 2001. Rod has also appeared on recordings by Yes, Sam Roberts, Powder Blues and he performed and arranged for a remix of Nancy Wilson’s “If I Had My Way” in 2000.Active / Available
Current Projects
Past Projects
