Sydney tenor saxophonist Sean Coffin and his brother, pianist Greg, have been stalwarts in the Sydney jazz and music scene, and are celebrating 20 years together as co-leaders of the Coffin Brothers Quartet.
Sean spent ten years studying at Berklee in Boston, followed by a post-graduate course at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, with teachers such as George Garzone, and has lectured at the Australian Institute of Music since his return in 2000. Their band has released several albums. They have performed in Melbourne only once, in 2006, for the MJC, and will produce their dynamic and powerful improvising and compositional style with a sympathetic Melbourne team of Sam Zerna (bass) and Craig Simon (drums).
"I have been fortunate to witness the evolution of other bands, like the Coffin Brothers who are also celebrating their 20th Anniversary at this time. The Coffin Brothers are a remarkable team who combine technically brilliant playing with deeply expressive and soulful compositions to exemplify the very best of what is happening in this genre in 2011 anywhere in the world. There is great love for the jazz tradition in their music, a joy in the energy, spirit and language of jazz. They build on these powerful roots to create imaginative sonic journeys that are completely their own, brought to life in dialogue with their wonderful rhythm section. It takes a lot of determination to keep a band together for 20 years. It takes real artistry to do it with the depth and originality that Sean and Greg have." - Sandy Evans, April 2011
