Turk Murphy

Turk Murphy (1915-1987) was a trombonist and bandleader from Palermo, California who spent most of his career rooted in San Francisco's traditional jazz scene. He came up playing with Lu Watters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band in the early 1940s, then led his own groups focused on Dixieland and barrelhouse-style jazz. His Turk Murphy Jazz Band, which he kept running from 1952 until his death, became one of the longest-running traditional jazz outfits on the West Coast.