Ass Dip [Jazz] Syd. Con - Bass
From musical directing concerts celebrating the 30th anniversary of Carol King's Tapestry, to recording sessions for the musical Always Patsy Cline, to touring with Bold and Beautiful star Ronn Moss, Michael is an in-demand bass player. He has toured nationally and internationally with his other group, Karma County, which also earned him an ARIA [Australian Recording Industry Association] award for Best Adult Contemporary release in 2000. Michael created the Java Quartet in 1994 and continues to direct this most personal of projects. more>
Mike's background is in concert bands, marching bands and jazz bands. In 1993 he entered the Sydney Conservatorium Jazz Studies program where he performed in the Con Big Band and received the Margaret Henderson scholarship award. Mike was a founding director of Contemporary Music Studies Pty Ltd where he directed student groups in Sydney's northern suburbs for 9 years (1994-2003), as well as numerous student concert and jazz bands. In 2000 he turned his attention to metal band Tourettes (syndrome) with distribution in both Australia and Europe for their album "Sicksence". Mike's been a member of The Java Quartet since 1995.
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BMus [Jazz] Syd. Con - Piano
Well-known in Sydney as one of 'the' piano player to watch, he joined the Java Quartet with Mike Quigley in 1995. With 8th grade classical piano [AMEB] under his belt even before he hit the jazz scene, Greg brings a wealth of musicality with him every time he sits at the piano. Whether it be solo at Sydney's leading hotels, as a sideman for some of Sydney's best players, such as Paul McNamara, Craig Scott and Steve Hunter, or fronting his own ensembles, Greg always astonishes both player and audience with the potency of his vision.
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The Java Quartet was formed by bassist Michael Galeazzi in 1994 as a vehicle for his own compositions. Together with Jason Cooney on saxophone, Henri Peipman on piano and Dave Sanders on drums, they spent an afternoon recording Michael’s tunes in an old classroom. To their surprise the session worked so well that it was released as the EP “Slumber For Nordic Wonder”. The momentum began to build after many favourable reviews from the likes of John Claire at the SMH and Craig N Pierce in The Drum Media.
With a lineup change of Mike Quigley on drums and Greg Coffin on piano, both Michael and Jason began writing for Java’s first album “Glow”. The critical acclaim kept coming. From Cadence magazine in New York to the Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, the group’s reputation grew. As a result, in 1997, The Java Quartet were one of the Australian representatives at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Upon their return to Australia Jason Cooney left Sydney for Perth and Richard Maegraith took up the saxophone chair.
The 1998 release “Passages” was the start of a new era for the group. The solidarity and cohesion of a permanent band inspired all members to contribute tunes to the album. One of Java’s greatest assets, as pointed out by John Shand in the Sydney Morning Herald, is the very fact that Java is a band with four composers on board and years of playing together, creating music with a potency that can be achieved in no other way.
It was this band that recorded “Dark Garden” at Sony Studios in 2001. A conceptual album dealing with the notions of memory and loss, it was this record that propelled The Java Quartet to a new level of appreciation. John Shand gave it album of the week from amongst albums from many genres. The opening track, Shadow Dancing, was nominated for the 2002 APRA for Most Performed Jazz Work. Kenny Weir, of The Sunday Herald Sun in Melbourne, described the tune as “…a lilting, achingly pretty tune worth every second of its 10 minutes.
With Richard Maegraith off with the Australian Air Force band and many other projects, 2003 saw Mathew Ottignon come into the Java fold and record an album that year. After a two year hiatus during which band members pursued projects in various corners of the world, The Java Quartet released “Deep Blue Sea” in 2005.
JAVA QUARTET – A Breif History – Point Form
1994 – Recorded Slumber For Nordic Wonder at Riverview College, Lane Cove.
1995 – Launch of Slumber For
Nordic Wonder, Harbourside Brasserie, Sydney.
Reviews in Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and Drum media garner the band
attention.
1996 – Glow recorded at Sony Studios, East Sydney.
1997 – Glow released.
Performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland.
Review in Cadence Magazine, New York.
Review in Penguin Guide To Jazz, 4th Edition.
SMH, Drum Media, 24hrs ABC radio magazine.
1998 – Passages released
Launched at the Palladium, toured locally NSW.
Reviews in Revolver, SMH, Drum Media.
1999 – Passages reviewed in
Cadence Magazine, New York.
Live review in Sydney Morning Herald by John Shand.
2000 – Recorded live at ABC
Ultimo studios for broadcast nationally on Jim McLeod’s
Jazztrack’s program.
2001 – Dark Garden recorded
at Sony Studios East Sydney and released.
Album tour; Brisbane, Lismore, Armidale, Newcastle, Sydney, Albury, Melbourne,
Adelaide
Album Of the week, Sydney Morning Herald.
Reviews also in Drum Media, The Australian, The Sunday Herald Sun, The
Age,
Time Off, ABC Jazz.
Pinnacles Jazz Festival, Brisbane, Qld
Bellingen Jazz Festival
2002 – “Shadow Dancing”
from Dark Garden nominated for an APRA for Most
Performed Jazz Work. Dark Garden and Passages reviewed in The Penguin
Guide To Jazz, 6th Edition.
2003 – Manly Jazz Festival
Deep Blue Sea recording sessions at Studios 301 in Byron Bay.
2004 – Michael Quigley in LA,
Greg Coffin in Japan and Mat Ottignon on cruise ships
off the coast of Mexico!
2005 – Deep Blue Sea released.
Shows in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.
Queensland Music Festival - Live recording at The Spiegltent aired nationally
on
“Live On Stage”, ABC Radio.
Darling Harbour Jazz Festival.
Reviews in Rhythms Magazine, Jazzscene, Drum Media, Sun Herald Sun, SMH,
The Daily Telegraph, Corporate News, Brag, The Program, Drum Media.