Sundaze@81 Featuring Simon Grey |
Be sure to come by to witness this free event taking place at Room 81, Sofitel, Broadbeach on Sunday the 13th of January from 3pm.
SIMON GREY BIOGRAPHY:
Providing the world with premium grade sophisticated funk fueled nu jazz and house for over 8 years now Australian Simon Grey could be described as somewhat of an underground secret. Well respected within the inner circles of the international underground soul fraternity, Simon has produced and performed with UK legends Incognito on keys as well as remixed the likes of Jamiroquai, Elton John, Bootsie Collins, Lou Reed, Sandy Rivera, Jeff Lorber,Miguel Migs, Reel People and Joey Negro to name a few.
As well as his work as an internationally respected producer, Simon also produced a major Japanese release of his collected original material in 2008 ( JVC / Victor Entertainment ) which led to live gigs in Tokyo, Kyoto, Jakarta ( Sundaze 2010 ), Melbourne, and extensively in Europe. This year Simon will perform at the prestigious Java Jazz Festival in 2012 featuring Tony Momrelle on vocals and David Haynes ( Chaka Khan, Prince , Frank McComb ) on drums. Simon performed along side legends such as Jeff Lorber, Frank McComb, Eryka Badu, Stevie Wonder and George Duke at this festival. UK soul legends Reel People will also call on him to MD ( Musical Director ) their new live project at Ronnie Scotts and Jazz Cafe in London. The band is made up of UK session legends that between them have played with Incognito , Sade and Annie Lennox to name a few. Simon’s Hamburg based production lab was also in use for a keys session recently for Miguel Migs and Meshelle Ndegeocelle in October this year. If that was not enough, Danish Artist Aura Dione , fresh off 2 top 10 hits in Germany in 2010 will call on Simon to design, perform keys and MD the latest European tour in March this year.
A global citizen currently residing in Germany – Simon’s has been locked away for months in his personal ‘Nasty Research Centre’ Music Facility, working on a fresh new LP project. As a drummer-turned-keyboard player, Simon’s well documented meticulous and unique approach of fusing an impressive vintage synth collection , pre amps and tape machines with fat syncopated programming and heavy gospel inspired harmony has earned him steady support from such names as King Britt, Kerri Chandler, Dimitri from Paris, Jerry Harris ( ‘Israel and the new breed’ US ) Grant Nelson, Jamie Lewis, Brian Tappart, Jeff Lorber, Rasmus Faber, Simon Dunmore ( Defected UK ) and Opolopo.
Known within the scene as a vintage equipment freak, Simon also works extensively as a mixing engineer for local and international artists ( Jazzkantine new release 2012, Sebo , Django Delux - Edel Germany ) It is not unusual to see him covered in tape, patching in some old amp into his SSL desk. It is this well researched mix of vintage and modern production techniques which has earned Simon praise for his unique sonic signature. Top international music magazine Sound on Sound invited him to lecture at the LIMS show in London 2009. Other press includes Interviews for Keyboard Magazine Japan and lecturing / product specialist work for Propellerhead Software ( Reason ) worldwide about live keyboard hardware and software integration on stage and in the studio
Studying classical piano from an early age , Simon took up the drums at high school, gaining a crucial percussive knowledge that has given him a unique approach to playing and producing. Taking up jazz piano again in 2000 in Melbourne under local jazzer Scott Griffith, Simon immersed himself in harmony while simultaneously developing his production skills with what ever he could afford and old fashioned trial and error. Sights were set clearly on Europe however and in 2002, Simon Relocated to Hamburg, Germany, where he has based his European.