Mike Murley stands out among Canadian jazz saxophonists for his ability to move fluidly between acoustic post-bop, big band settings, and fusion contexts. After gaining initial experience during the 1980s, he achieved widespread recognition when Two Sides earned the Juno Award for Best Jazz Album in 1990. Additional Juno wins arrived through his electric fusion ensemble Metalwood, while his catalog as a leader continued to grow with further acclaimed releases such as the 2002 live recording Live at the Senator, the 2006 studio effort The Melody Lingers On, and the 2012 trio project Test of Time, each of which also received Juno recognition. Metalwood’s 2018 reunion album Twenty brought the group another Juno Award.
Born in Nova Scotia in 1961, Murley began saxophone studies at age 13. He completed a BFA at York University in Toronto in 1986 and supplemented his training with private instruction from Don Palmer, Dave Liebman, and Dave Holland. Throughout the same decade he performed with the contemporary fusion groups Shuffle Demons and Time Warp. His first album as leader, The Curse, appeared in 1988. Sideman credits accumulated steadily and encompass work with David Braid, Renee Rosnes, John Scofield, David Occhipinti, Rob McConnell, Norma Winstone, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Bley, and John Abercrombie.
His second album, Two Sides, secured the 1990 Juno Award for Best Jazz Album, while Time and Tide received a Juno nomination in 1992. Subsequent small-group recordings included the 1994 release Departure and the 1996 album Conversation Piece.
During the 1990s Murley assembled the electric fusion group Metalwood, whose lineup featured pianist/trumpeter Brad Turner, bassist Chris Tarry, and drummer Ian Froman. The ensemble’s first two albums, Metalwood (1997) and Metalwood II (1998), each received the Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Later Metalwood projects comprised Metalwood 3, the 2001 album Recline, and the 2003 release Chronic.
Live at the Senator reached audiences in 2002 and earned Murley a second Juno Award for Best Jazz Album. Extra Time followed in 2004 and captured a National Jazz Award, after which The Melody Lingers On appeared in 2006. Still Rollin’ came out in 2010; two years later the trio album Test of Time, recorded with guitarist Ed Bickert and bassist Steve Wallace, brought Murley a third Juno Award. Another trio recording, Looking Back, was issued in 2014.
The 2016 quartet album The North, featuring pianist David Braid, bassist Johnny Aman, and drummer Anders Mogensen, earned a Juno nomination. That same year Metalwood reconvened for both touring and the album Twenty, which won the Juno Award for Best Group Jazz Album of the Year. In addition to his performing career, Murley has held teaching positions at the University of Toronto, York University, Humber College, and the Banff School of Fine Arts.
