FGHR

Darryn Farrugia

Born in Melbourne, Darryn’s twenty year professional career includes live work, tours, recording sessions and television, including nine years as drummer for the popular TV show Hey, Hey It’s Saturday. During this time he has had the opportunity to play behind many leading artists, including Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ernie Watts, B.B. King, Tommy Emmanuel, Renee Geyer, Barry Manilow, Lou Rawls, Olivia Newton John and Randy Crawford.

In 2003 Darryn released his instructional book Groove Perspectives and is now living in London.

Myspace

Discography

2. FGHR – Going Home (2009)
3. Carl Orr – Pitfield Street (2009)
4. Nina Ferro – Waiting For The Sunset (2008)
5. FGHR – Stationary (2007)
6. Freewinder – Shooting Stars (2006)
7. Ashes Quartet – Meeting (2005)
8. Marcia Hines – Hinesight (2004)
9. Logic – The Waiting Game (2003)
10. Alex Pertout – From The Heart (2001)
11. Lisa Young – Speak (1999)
12. Penny Dyer – Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly (1998)
13. Christine Sullivan – Live at Mietta’s (1993)

Leonard Grigoryan

Since 1999 Leonard has toured regularly in Australia and internationally with his brother Slava. In 2001, Leonard appeared on Slava’s ARIA award winning album Sonatas and Fantasies, and was subsequently nominated for their album PLAY.

Leonard has appeared at many festivals including the Darwin International Guitar Festival, Iserlohn International Guitar Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Melbourne Festival, Brisbane Festival, WOMADelaide, Huntington Festival and the Frankston Guitar festival. He has performed in Africa, Europe, America and Asia.

In March 2006 Leonard had his debut performance at Wigmore Hall with Slava. He has been a soloist with the Melbourne Symphony, the Queensland Symphony, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Melbourne, and the Melbourne Musicians’ chamber orchestra. Leonard has always dedicated himself to both the classical and jazz genres and is also an active arranger and composer.

Myspace

Discography

1. FGHR – Going Home (2009)
2. FGHR – Stationary (2007)
3. Slava and Leonard Grigoryan – Impressions (2007)
4. Slava Grigoryan – Shadow Dances (2007)
5. Saffire – Renaissance (2006)
6. Fiona Burnett – Imagine (2006)
7. Slava and Leonard Grigoryan – Rodrigo Guitar Concertos (2005)
8. Slava and Leonard Grigoryan – PLAY (2003)
9. Slava Grigoryan – Sonatas and Fantasies (2002)

Luke Howard

Luke graduated with honours from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2001, where he studied piano with Donna Coleman, Paul Grabowsky and Tim Stevens.

Amongst others Luke has performed with Han Bennink, Phil Gould (Level 42), Slava Grigoryan, Paul Grabowsky, Doug Parkinson, Carl Riseley, the Melbourne Symphony, True Live, Chad Wackerman, and Willy Zygier.

Luke was a finalist in the 2001 and 2004 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competitions. He was also a recipient of the 2001 Keith and Elisabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship, through which he studied with Paul Bley and Fred Hersch. Luke participated in the 2007 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, led by Dave Douglas.

Myspace

Discography

1. FGHR – Going Home (2009)
2. Al Slavik – Trust (2009)
3. Michael Story Trio – So You Want More (2009)
4. The National Living Treasures – Wide Music (2008)
5. FGHR – Stationary (2007)
6. Becky Fox – Allure (2007)
7. Don Banks – Nexus (2007)
8. Michael Story Trio – Michael Story Trio (2006)
9. The Daytime Frequency – Sun Opus Is Upon Us (2005)
10. Liz Flynn – Hush (2005)
11. Mark Lockett, Paul Van Ross – Live At Spleen (2005)
12. Slava Grigoryan and Al Slavik – Continental Shift (2005)
13. Phil Dearing and Blue Train – Drive Coffin Fast (2004)
14. Glenn Cannon – Leverage (2004)
15. Still UK – Still (2004)

Ben Robertson

Ben has extensive experience in a wide variety of musical settings, with studio credits of over 60 jazz and commercial CD releases. He has regularly featured in Australian film scores, along with television appearances and touring commitments with local and international artists. Ben is a harmonic and listening musician: a great asset to any ensemble both as an improvising soloist and arranger.

Ben’s composition ‘Long Stream’ was recently selected as a finalist for the international Double Bassist magazine competition ‘One Minute Wonders’. The work received its International Premiere in Wells, Scotland, October 2007. His composition ‘Open Land’, for Double Bass and Piano, received the Highly Commended award in the International BIBF competition UK in 2009.

Ben has performed in many situations, with artists such as James Morrison, Lee Konitz and Lew Soloff. Award highlights include being co-composer/arranger on the 2007 Bell award-winning album Grace, and an ARIA award nomination for the Joe Chindamo album Anyone Who Had A Heart.

Discography

1. FGHR – Going Home (2009)
2. FGHR – Stationary (2007)
3. Lisa Young – Grace (2006)
4. Emma Gilmartin – Songe (2005)
5. Fiona Burnett Trio – Counterpoint (2005)
6. Tim Stevens Trio – Three Friends in Winter (2005)
7. Tim Stevens Trio – Nine Open Questions (2004)
8. Tim Wilson Trio – Sorry Pardon What? (2004)
9. Joe Chindamo – The Joy of Standards (2001)
10. David Rex – Dark Side Of The Street (2001)
11. Lisa Young – Speak (2001)
12. Joe Chindamo – Good Little Ploy (2000)
13. Mark Fitzgibbon – Twenty Four Hour Blues (1999)
14. Joe Chindamo – Anyone Who Had a Heart (1997)
15. Debra Byrne – Caught In The Act (1997)
16. Lucas Michailidis – The Journey (1997)
17. Olivia Newton-John – Warm and Tender (1996)
18. Geoff Hughes Trio – The Drop (1997)
19. Peter Jones – Thin Ice (1996)
20. Matt Kirsch – Translucent (1996)
21. The Black Sorrows – Harley and Rose (1990)
22. Doug de Vries – Doug de Vries (1990)