Tamara Murphy & Stephen Magnusson

Having crossed paths on countless stages over the years, Tamara Murphy and Stephen Magnusson step out as a duo, performing their own compositions alongside selected covers.

Double bass and guitar move as one, using textures drawn from years of improvisatory playing. A shared love of pop and rock lends a lyrical undercurrent to the pair's melodic instincts, resulting in music that is inventive, textural and unmistakably their own.

Artists

Tamara Murphy double bass
Stephen Magnusson guitar

Melbourne bassist Tamara Murphy retired her long-running ensemble Murphy's law some years back. Of late, she's focused her attention on her quartet, Spirograph Studies, while continuing to perform with The Australian Art Orchestra, Nat Bartsch, Paul Grabowsky and others.

Winner of the 2013 Melbourne Prize for Most Outstanding Musician, Stephen Magnusson is considered one of Australia’s most accomplished, versatile and distinct musicians with incredible technique and an astoundingly beautiful tone.

After completing his studies at the Victorian College of the Arts, under the supervision of some of Australia’s finest musicians – Tony Gould, Bob Sedergreen and Mike Doyle – Stephen lived and worked in Europe, eventually being appointed as a staff member of The Academy of Contemporary Music (Zurich). On his return to Melbourne in August 2000 he was awarded equal first prize in the National Jazz Award at Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival. He has released over 9 records, with his Ensemble MAGNET – awarded the 2013 Bell Award for Best Australian Contemporary Jazz Album.