James Murray is a musician from New York.  He has written music, produced recordings and performed guitar, trumpet, banjo, bass and keyboards with many bands since the 1990s and has been a member of Diamond Jig since 2012. He has most recently completed his first solo record, Drakus.

 

With Drakus, James plays the role of a bard, weaving a tale of a Dragon that brings chaos and destruction once a century.  Themes of the album include cycles of generations through history and finding one’s purpose.

 

Composed with a four sided LP in mind, Drakus was inspired by the double album rock operas of the 60s and 70s like The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Tommy, and The Wall.  James grew up listening to progressive rock and was heavily influenced by bands like Focus, Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Tool, and Opeth.

 

In addition to prog, he has played with punk, reggae, ska, hip hop, jam band and jazz ensembles in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina, and Florida.

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Covers include songs from The Beatles, James Taylor, Al Stewart, The Moody Blues, The Allman Bros. Band, Radiohead, Peter Gabriel, Tool, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, America, Seals & Crofts, David Bowie, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Glen Campbell, Bee Gees, Alice & Chains, The Rolling Stones and Chicago.