GRAEME LYALL

Graeme Lyall is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz saxophone players and arrangers Australia has produced. As well as performing, writing, arranging and teaching at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, he is also the Artistic Director of the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra and musical director of the 50 strong WAYJO Composers Ensemble.

Graeme commenced his professional career at the age of 17 with the Henri Bource All Stars at the Palais Ballroom and The Embers night club in Melbourne. They are credited with having issued the very first Australian rock'n 'roll album, 'Rock'n 'Roll Party', on the Planet label in 1958. At 19 he moved to Sydney and at 22 was appointed as a musician and arranger with the TCN 9 Orchestra. Whilst there he played regularly at the El Rocco Jazz Cellar. Lyall played on John Sangters album 'The Joker Is Wild'. In the late 60s as part of the Daly-Wilson Big Band they recorded their debut album, 'Live! At the Cell Block',

Graeme moved back to Melbourne in 1971 to take up an appointment as composer, arranger and record producer at Armstrong Studios. He played on Mississipi's first album and played on Frieze's album '1972 BC'. He was a member of the ABC Melbourne Showband for three years and in 1977 was appointed Director of Music at GTV-9 Melbourne. During the Melbourne years Graeme was the Winner of the Best Arrangement at Yamaha International Song Festival four times and winner of the Australian Writers and Art Directors Guild Award for the Best Music for a Television Commercial (Hallmark Greeting Cards).

In the mid '80s Graeme left full time television to concentrate on teaching. He returned for special events including AFL and NRL Grand Finals, Carols by Candlelight and the Logie Awards and then full time in 1991 to be Musical Director of Hey Hey it's Saturday.

Since 1992, Graeme has taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Victorian College of the Arts and the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. As well as performing, writing, arranging and teaching, Graeme has been the Artistic Director of the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra and musical director of the 50-strong WAYJO Composers Ensemble and since 2008 has been a resident at the Tenison Woods College based at Mt. Gambier, South Australia where he teaches Jazz Performance at the Generations in Jazz Academy. He became a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2003: "For service to music as Artistic Director of the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, and as a musical director, composer and performer."

References

https://australianjazzrealbook.com/artists/graeme-lyall/