Lyle "Spud" Murphy

Composer and arranger Lyle "Spud" Murphy was best known for developing his pioneering 12-tone Equal Interval System, developed to liberate composers from the constraints of classical forms and methods. Born in Berlin on August 19, 1908, and raised from the age of four in Salt Lake City, UT, Murphy was something of a child prodigy, mastering in succession the trumpet, all members of the saxophone family, and finally the remaining woodwinds. He began his professional career at 16, and in 1933 relocated to New York City, becoming a sought-after arranger. Murphy enjoyed his greate...