Legendary jazz vocalist Mark Murphy dies in New Jersey at 83

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (AP) - Legendary jazz vocalist Mark Murphy has died in New Jersey after a lengthy illness that kept him from performing since 2012. He was 83.

Manager Jean-Pierre Leduc says Murphy died Thursday at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood.

Murphy was raised in Syracuse, New York, where he was discovered at a jam session by Sammy Davis Jr. in 1953.

He was a six-time Grammy Award nominee who sang with a wide range of techniques, from scatting and vocalese to spoken word. He released more than 40 recordings since making his debut with the 1956 album "Meet Mark Murphy."

He worked as an actor in London in the 1960s before returning to the U.S., where he began recording highly acclaimed albums for the Muse label including tributes to Jack Kerouac and Nat King Cole.