A legend returns! Celebrated jazz vocalist and former Buffalo State artist-in-residence Mark Murphy comes to the college this week for a series of presentations and performances.

Murphy and Chuck Mancuso, professor, Music Department, will host two discussions about the art of jazz vocalizing on Thursday, November 20, in Rockwell Hall 124.

"Bop for Kerouac," 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., focuses on the six-time Grammy nominated vocalist's recorded tributes to the leader of the Beat Generation, Jack Kerouac.

"Stolen Moments," 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., provides a brief overview of Murphy's 50-year career as a professional jazz musician and educator.

On Saturday, November 22, at 9:00 p.m., the vocalist will perform in the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium as part of the opening festivities for the new Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College.

Launching his career in the mid-1950s, Murphy was initially marketed as a pop icon before taking matters into his own hands. Forging an inventive blend of bop melody via his singular scatting technique, Murphy quickly became a serious presence on the international jazz scene—where he has remained a fixture ever since.

At 75, Murphy is still an adventurous and unpredictable musician. The singer's latest release, Love Is What Stays (Verve), features his interpretations of songs from Johnny Cash, Michel Legrand, and Coldplay.