Saxophonist Michael Griffin has recently returned to Australia after living the life of a jazzman in New York City.
In September he will appear at the Jazz Music Institute (JMI) in Brisbane to perform his debut album as well as presenting a masterclass. “I was performing around New York and got to work with a whole bunch of guys,” Michael says.
“One of the most exciting ones was when I worked with an 85-year-old drummer called Billy Kaye who played with Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. I got to do a gig with him and it was cool to work with someone who worked with those people all those years ago.”
Like a growing number of Australian jazz musicians, Michael set his sights on the Big Apple knowing all too well that if he wanted to make it anywhere, he would first have to make it there. “New York’s incredible,” he says.
“It’s the number one place to be in the world and it’s one of those things where it’s almost indescribable, you’ve kind of got to see it for yourself. I think the best thing about being in New York is certainly the standard of music.
“It’s very much a dog-eat-dog city and for that reason it brings out the best in you. I always say that I never sound better than when I’m in New York, because you’re there and you hear that level out of everyone else that it pushes you to get to that level. It’s definitely the best place to be for jazz. Once you’ve been here, it’s hard not to come back.”
Michael spent a short time as a child in coastal Queensland before moving to Sydney then New York. He will make his Brisbane-performance debut in September when he performs his debut album ‘Unexpected Greeting’. “I haven’t been to Brisbane in a very long time, years and years,” Michael says. “I’ve never performed in Brisbane; I went to school on the Sunshine Coast when I was 12 but I’ve never performed in Brisbane before.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s very exciting. It’s about time and Brisbane’s a nice city, and I’m looking forward to meeting Brisbane musicians as well, because I don’t know that many. I’m looking forward to seeing what Brisbane has to offer.”
Recorded five years ago at the ABC studios in Sydney, ‘Unexpected Greeting’ is an aptly titled introduction to a phenomenal talent. It was named as one of the Top 10 Australian jazz albums of 2015, and earned Michael the honour of being the youngest musician to feature in Downbeat, the world’s premier jazz publication.
Michael’s performance at JMI will be complemented the following day with a masterclass workshop. “While in Brisbane I’ll be playing with the staff from JMI,” he says, “you could say they’re the best jazz guys in Brisbane. They’ll be my backing band and we’ll perform all sorts of stuff, as well as songs from ‘Unexpected Greeting’.
“Then the second day I’m doing the masterclass, and that’s going to be about all sorts of stuff, but especially about getting yourself out there as a musician. It’s about dedicating your life to jazz, what it’s like to do it and the ups and downs of trying to be an artist and trying to get something happening.”
Michael Griffin Tour Dates
Thu 1 Sep - Jazz Music Institute (Brisbane)Fri 2 Sep - JMI Masterclass (Brisbane)
Tue 6 Sep - The Ellington (Perth)
22-24 Sep - SIMA Sound Lounge (Sydney)
