Californian journalist Kyle Hickenbottom in his Kyle's Top 10 Modern Roots recently wrote the following about one of his favourite albums: Characteristically, Ska is a music made by a lot of people. Full blaring horn sections, piano, full rhythm section complete with chopping guitar, etc. The last thing most people think when the word "Ska" is mentioned is one man with an acoustic guitar. Nevertheless following the end of his influential band from Canada, King Apparatus, vocalist Chris Murray came to California armed with an acoustic guitar and a 4-track to change the way the public thinks of Ska music.

The album Kyle was writing about is the one in your hands, The 4-Track Adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris, released back in 1996 on the original New York based Moon Ska record label. Unbelievably, even though Moon Ska has re-emerged as a UK based label, this album has been out of print for over 5 years. As Chris Murray has now signed to Moon Ska Europe, they have decided to release this latter day Ska classic before releasing any of his new releases in Europe. After all, it's where the Chris Murray story started.

As Chris writes in the liner notes to that album:
I started making 4-track demos to introduce new songs to my old band, King Apparatus. Before long I was recording tracks purely for my own pleasure. When I made these recordings, I had no intention of releasing them, but over time found myself listening to and enjoying them again and again.After playing some recordings to friends, I decided to release the first eight tracks as my debut solo album. I sent rough mixes to Bucket, lead singer of The Toasters and head of Moon Records USA, who felt the tracks were too raw to release. A call came from the Moon office saying they couldn't do the release.
By that time, I'd mixed the tracks at a friend's home studio and was disappointed Moon wouldn't put them out. It was then I wrote Cooper Station Blues, a song about trying to get a deal with Moon. Cooper Station was where the Moon was based back then. A few weeks later, I received a call from Steve Shafer at Moon, who'd fallen in love with the tracks. On hearing the final mixes, Bucket was won over and decided to release the album.

I added Cooper Station Blues without telling the folks at Moon what the song was about. The first time anyone at the label heard Cooper Station Blues was after receiving finished copies from the manufacturing plant. Fortunately, everyone was amused.

Chris settled in Venice, California (Los Angeles), and thus chose Venice Shoreline Chris as his new stage name. However, his success brought him to the notice of a local and deadly gang who used a similar name. After a very strange meeting, let's not forget this is the area where Henry Rollins saw his best friend gunned down in front of him, it was decided Chris would drop the Venice Shoreline part of his name and return to Chris Murray. As one of Chris's close friends made it clear some time later, Chris didn't want to be responsible for a kid getting shot for wearing one of his Venice Shoreline tee-shirts!

The 4-Track Adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris may not originally have been one of Moon Records fastest selling records, but has become one of the most important and influential releases the label ever released. The ground swell buzz spread around the Ska world like a computer virus. Chris simply hit a nerve with his home 4-track traditional Ska recordings. Anyone into the real authentic Ska that originally came out of Jamaica in the early 1960's cannot fail to be impressed by what he has achieved with these 4 track recordings. Many have tried to replicate the Trad Ska feel, but no one has come this close.

Suitably, in his own name, Chris Murray recorded a new album 4-Trackaganza! and signed to the excellent Asian Man Records (original home of Less Than Jake, Alkaline Trio), with whom he is still signed for North America.

In addition to his busy schedule of live appearances throughout North America, Chris has been involved in a host of collaborative efforts, from producing albums for Canada's Planet Smashers and eclectic NYC super group Da Whole Thing, to writing songs with and for the likes of Hellcat Records recording artists Hepcat, The Specials' Neville Staple, and Stubborn All Stars. Currently, Chris is completing an album with NYC's finest The Slackers backing him on his material.

Life has led Chris down a musical path to the very roots of reggae music, from trading songs on an acoustic guitar with the Godfather of Ska Laurel Aitken, to singing with Caribbean bandleader Carlos Malcolm & His Afro-Jamaican Rhythms, to jamming with The Specials in a basement club. He has also recorded with Jamaica's original drums and bass masters, Lloyd Knibb and Lloyd Brevett of the legendary Skatalites. Most recently, Chris was asked to play harmonica for Prince Buster for a rare appearance at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival.

Chris has also undertaken a project designed to support and promote the Ska scene. A weekly club night called the Bluebeat Lounge, as a series of weekly concerts at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood that has featured many excellent Ska acts from across the World.