Blues Man Murray Porter’s music career has taken him all over the world for the last 45+ years. He’s a proud Mohawk man from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in southern Ontario, who has been living on Squamish Nation unceded territory in North Vancouver, British Columbia, for the last 20 years.

He's got a solid Band of seasoned Musicians who are all powerhouses with their voices and instruments. On wicked bass is Helene Duguay who has been playing professionally for 6 decades. Heavy on the drums is Darren Harry. Joining on the electrifying guitar is Rick Cosmic Pig Boulter, who is also Executive Producer on both of Murray's releases, `Songs Lived & Life Played', and 'STAND UP!'

Murray may have a blues soul to the core, but he also grew up on rock and roll, R & B and country music. Porter’s CD ‘Songs Lived & Life Played’ won him the 2012 JUNO Award for ‘Aboriginal Album of the Year’.  In 2019 he released, “STAND UP!” and reflects these early musical influences. He strongly feels that this album is some of his best music to date. This album was nominated at the 2019 Native American Music Awards for ‘Best Blues Recording’ and ‘Best Male Artist of the Year’. Two songs,`Two Hearts & One Soul’, and `Love Will Find A Way’, words by Elaine Bomberry and music by Murray Porter, each hit Number One, on Canada’s Indigenous Music Countdown, in 2020.

Over the past 2 years he performed at a few gigs with The Tribal Road Bands, (who are based in Winnipeg at: the Aroland Music Festival), Treaty Days in Berens River First Nation in Manitoba; and for Ernest Moonias 75th Birthday at the Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg.

In the Summer of 2024, he performed solo at: 2 Rivers Remix Movable Feast in Kamloops; a Healing Conference in Laxgaltsap; the Smithsonian Folklife’s Festival celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, D.C., from June 26 – July 1, performing 2 shows a day; also at the 155th Annual Fall Fair in Six Nations. With his Band he performed at the Islands Folk Festival in Cowichan.

On July 16, 2023, he won the ‘Icon Award’ at the Weengushk International Indigenous Film Festival, on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. In 2021, 2022 & 2023, he was nominated for `Blues with a Feeling’ award for Lifetime Achievement from the Maple Blues Awards, Canada’s national blues awards.

During the COVID era, which rocked all of our worlds, and cancelled the live music scene throughout the world, there were several ‘virtual concert series’ that Murray has performed at including: `#CanadaPerforms with the National Arts Centre’, `Tkaronto Music Fest’, ‘Assembly of First Nations Water Summit (twice)’, `Live at Mikey’s Place’, ‘Indigenous Music Awards Performance Series’, ‘Rez Bluez 25th Anniversary’, presented by the Toronto Blues Society & Elaine Bomberry. With his Band, they performed at `2 Rivers Remix Festival’ in Boston Bar and Lytton First Nation, `The Bridge Festival’ and ‘Harmony Arts Festival’, West Vancouver, `Fusion Festival’ in Surrey, BC.

In the summer of 2023, he performed at ‘Indigenous Sounds Now’, at Toronto’s Ontario Place, Metro Vancouver stage at Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition, Turtles Nest in Akwesasne, New York State, Weengushk Gala on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Indigenous Sounds Now concert weekend at Toronto’s Ontario Place, Talking Stick Festival, Tsawwassen First Nations National Indigenous Peoples Day. Plus, he’s performed for a number of Indigenous organizations virtually as well for Elders Gatherings, and Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Whether he is playing an intimate venue for local blues fans, as a solo, duo, trio or with a four-piece band, or on a festival stage to thousands of music aficionados, Porter’s love of performing comes across clear and strong. He has been compared to Dr. John, Joe Cocker and even Elton John! The late Robbie Robertson has called Porter “a master bluesman.”  He captivates audiences wherever he performs and makes new fans…and they never leave his show disappointed.

Links to Murray Porter’s Music:

Ø  Gary Farmer & Friends featuring Murray Porter, Derek Miller, Pura Fe, Lacey Hill, Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver, BC, March 2, 2025

o   https://youtu.be/J1GCzegTkIc?si=2aXigsV0G2fY0YWU

Ø  Canada Day @ Canada Place presented by BrandLive, ‘Crying in My Sleep’, The Murray Porter Band, Vancouver, July 1, 2023

o   https://youtu.be/LeCSaVVosD0?si=2UgkaLcG_8k1ENeE

Ø  Full Circle Gala – Impromptu performance on a Steinway & Sons grand piano, Simon Fraser Univ., Vancouver, Sept. 2023

o   https://youtu.be/FyXk4CqgM2E?si=qvhMEfvq9x8ZBF5w

Ø  Rez Bluez 25th Anniversary, presented by the Toronto Blues Society & Elaine Bomberry, Sept. 25, 2020

o   https://youtu.be/oUHZftpVqYQ

Ø  Live at Mikey’s Place, Vancouver, produced by Michael Schau, Vancouver, Sept. 17, 2020

o   https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=791092791728565&ref=search

Ø  ‘Don’t Let Go’, created with Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly Youth Group & Multi-media Team, August, 2017   

o   https://youtu.be/T0WPD6uVkFo

Ø  Is Sorry Enough? The University Saskatchewan Jazz Ensemble featuring Murray Porter

o  https://youtu.be/3QGxclfte5k

Ø  `Out of Many’ Festival: A Winter Multicultural Presentation of Music and Dance’, celebrates the cultural diversity of the U.S., at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian, Potomac Atrium on January 21 & 22, 2017

o   PART 1  https://youtu.be/vXCamHUG3u8?si=kj2GLUBOqu9vXNFy

o   PART 2  https://youtu.be/QXUwy_-_7es?si=F6VBIUP0McU6e24E

Ø  Murray Porter – A Musician’s Love, documentary produced by Petie Chalifoux, co-produced by Michael Auger, 2013

o   https://youtu.be/v774vI0rvLQ?si=IXihjXt4NJ1mOe-B

Over the Years:  

Murray has performed, either as a solo or with his band at: Edmonton Folk Festival; Saskatoon Winter Blues Festival; Bella Coola Music Festival; Indspire Awards, Vancouver; JUNO Fest, Ottawa; BreakOut West, Regina; Sakewewak Artists Collective, Regina; Nanaimo Summertime Blues Festival (3 times); Harrison Music Festival; Pender Harbour Blues Festival, B.C. Plus many community benefit concerts for various health, environmental causes and Indigenous communities across Canada; Downtown East Side for the Homeless; Aboriginal Elders, youth & students; Murdered & Missing Women & Girls, and for Standing Rock, North Dakota.

Awards & Nominations:

·       2023 ‘Icon Award’ at the Weengushk International Indigenous Film Festival

·       2021, 2022 & 2023, nominated for `Blues with a Feeling’ award for Lifetime Achievement from the Maple Blues Awards, Canada’s national blues awards

·       2020 Native American Music Awards nominations for Best Blues & Best Male Artist for “STAND UP!”

·       2012 JUNO Award for `Aboriginal Album of the Year’ for “Songs Lived & Life Played” (Independent) – awarded on March 31, 2012, in Ottawa. Also nominated for: 2 Western

Canadian Music Awards; and 4 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards; 2015 JUNO awards for Full Circle, with The Pappy Johns Band (PJB)

·       Best Blues Album at the 2004 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for Full Circle with PJB

·       Songwriter of the Year at the first ever Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards

·       Nominee for Songwriter of the Year, for the 2004 Maple Blues Awards

·       Finalist in the 2003 International Songwriting Competition for Blues 

Discography: 

·       “STAND UP!”, (Independent) Words & music by Murray Porter, co-writer on 2 songs, released 2019

·       “Songs Lived & Life Played”, (Independent) all songs and music by Murray.

"Full Circle", The Pappy Johns Band featuring Murray Porter, (Independent), Murray wrote 7 of the 11 songs on this CD, Nov., 2003

"1492, Who Found Who?" (First Nations Music/EMI).  Murray wrote all the words and music, 1995

Compilations: 

1.         “Indian Reservation Blues”: ‘Heart of the Eagle’; ‘Colours’ by Murray Porter included on this 32 song compilation. (DixieFrog Records, France) – released in Europe on Feb. 26, 2009

2.         "Blues sur Seine 2005 Festival compilation-France", `Make Your Mind Up' by Murray Porter with The Pappy Johns Band - November 2005.  (Mantes-la-Jolie, France)

3.         "Toronto Blues Society 20th Anniversary compilation 2005" `Meat on the Bone' written by Murray Porter with The Pappy Johns Band, (Toronto Blues Society) – May 2005

4.         "Skin Tight Blues" A First Peoples Blues Compilation (Sweet Grass Records/EMI Music Canada), `Colours' written by Murray Porter - July 15, 2002

5.         “Turtle Island”, Guest Artist with Curtis Clear Sky & the Constellations            https://youtu.be/ENkQxRPfXW8?si=0V8nA0PMfbteXUXI  2019 (Independent);

6.         “Nikawiy Askiy” by Sandy Scofield, 2007  (Independent);

7.         “Fusion of Two Worlds” by M’Girl, 2007  (Independent)

Television Performances:

·       CBC-TV BC featured Murray Porter on 'Absolutely Vancouver', with a full hour show called "Heart of the Eagle". Features both solo and band performances. It was originally broadcast in 2014, and also featured on their national program 'Absolutely Canadian'. 

·       On February 12, 2016, he performed his original song, `In The Same Canoe’, as the finale on the Indspire Awards, which was broadcast on Global-TV and APTN in June 2017

·       On June 24. 2016, he also was featured on APTN's Solstice Concerts with his own 30-minute segment from his performance at the 2015 Aboriginal Day Live with the Rez Bluez All-Starz

 His JUNO Award winning album “Songs Lived & Life Played” can be heard on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio across North America, CBC Radio, Stingray Blues on Canadian cable TV, and on Indigenous radio programs and networks across North America. Available thru iTunes, Amazon, or CD Baby. Murray Porter’s new CD “STAND UP!” is available on many digital music platforms.

CONTACT INFO:

MURRAY PORTER  

 c/o Elaine Bomberry, Manager  

Capilano Rez, Squamish Nation Territory,

North Vancouver, British Columbia        

Email: embomberry61@gmail.com     Cell:    778.879.4161

    Facebook:    

            https://www.facebook.com/MurrayPorterMusic