Just Us

Just Us is May Ip and Gary Murphy, unless there are other people, and then it is Just Us and Other People --- ok, so what's in a name and a Rose by any other and all that.

Alternative roots country folk duo JustUs has been featured on CKLN-FM and CIUT-FM in Toronto on K106.5 in Owen Sound and CKWR-FM in Kitchener, and played several Ontario folk and country music festivals including the Eaglewood, London, Burlinton, Oakville, Mar and the Thornbury festivals, and regularly featured in the Chesley Grand Old Opry and the Opry Roadshows.

it happened like this ...

In 1995, May and Gary were regular features at Toronto's Free Times Cafe and on the city's open stage circuits. They were invited to play at NxNE (North by North East) and were featured at the Harbourfront Water's Edge Cafe in Toronto for the 1996 Asian Heritage celebrations.

In the summer of 1996, after hearing them at the Kokomo's Open Stage and all night long at the infamous Campground-E, Tim Harrison invited them to the main stage at the Eaglewood Folk Fest. May and Gary were featured performers at the 1997 Eaglewood, the one Canadian folk festival you don't want to miss. Following their success in 1997, they were invited back for the 1998 Eaglewood to join the exclusive "Two years in a row" club!

Since 1995, the two have lived up among the dunes and forests of Sauble Beach in the Bruce Peninsula. Gary and May have two children, Nolan Man-Hon and Kaelin Man-Bok, who lately have slowed down the performance schedule.

JustUs is gleefully unable to offer you a CD; that may make us totally unique in the music business. We can offer a few RealAudio bootleg recordings and we have been known to create custom tapes for those who ask especially nicely, but alas, no CD. Now, don't misunderstand: If someone should offer to sponsor a CD project, we won't look ascance at it ...

May, on the other hand, has two CD's to her credit. Her first, May Ip (from her UK tour and other live gigs) and the second, Very Personal recorded direct to DAT on Lamma Island HK. Both discs are is now out of print (but we can burn you a CD-R). You can contact May directly for more information on ordering one of these and OggVorbis samples are available for download at May's music archive.