Mike Murley is a renowned Canadian Jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator. Born on December 12, 1961, in Truro, Nova Scotia, he has been celebrated for his extensive contributions to the contemporary jazz genre. Murley had an eclectic career that includes being a member of two memorable Canadian jazz groups: The Shuffle Demons and Time Wrap. Shuffle Demons is a groundbreaking, genre-bending group that fused colourful musical performances with contemporary jazz inspired by a wide variety of talents, such as Run DMC and Charles Mingus. Murley is also known for his work with the electric jazz foursome, Metalwood, three-time winners of the prestigious Juno Awards, including, Best Contemporary Jazz Albums: Metalwood (1998) and Metalwood 2 (1999). After reuniting in 2016, they won Best Jazz Album Group for Twenty. His career boasts a wide range of recordings and performances with skilled international musicians such as Norma Winstone, Renee Rosnes, John Schofield, David Liebman, and other late greats like John Abercrombie, and Kenny Wheeler. In this clip, Mike Murley plays Dexterity (2014) with stellar Toronto colleagues Reg Schwager and Steve Wallace:
Alongside his extensive composing and performing career, Murley has been a dedicated educator at the University of Toronto, currently Assistant Professor Emeritus in the Music Department.
