About Me
Graham Czach is an original wildly creative and accomplished musician, composer, upright/electric bassist, vocalist and guitarist best known as bassist for the Chicago Afrobeat Project (www.chicagoafrobeatproject.com), where he has toured the United States extensively and had the opportunity to perform with Grammy Award Winners - Paul Wertico (www.paulwertico.com) and Howard Levy (www.levyland.com). He has been playing with CAbP since 2005. Graham also just recorded on Grammy Award Winner Lupe Fiasco's new album "L.A.S.E.R.S."(www.lupefiasco.com).
Graham currently resides in the wonderful city of Chicago, Illinois where he is an in demand internationally touring and session bassist. His current discography covers over 15 albums, and his progressive palate includes Jazz, Classical, Rock, Funk, Reggae, Latin, World Music, and everything around and in between. While maintaining a busy performance and session schedule he also teaches privately in his spare time.
GRAHAM CZACH's DEBUT ALBUM is set to RELEASE sometime in early 2010 Featuring:
KRIS MYERS (www.umphreys.com)
MATT NELSON (Lupe Fiasco www.myspace.com/lupefiasco, Matthew Santos www.myspace.com/matthewsantos)
CHRIS SIEBOLD (Howard Levy www.levyland.com, Kick the Cat www.kickthecatmusic.com)
Graham currently RECORDS and PERFORMS with the following groups:
Lupe Fiasco (www.myspace.com/lupefiasco)
CAbP (www.chicagoafrobeatproject.com)
Andrew Ripp (www.myspace.com/andrewripp)
Todd Carey Band (www.toddcareymusic.com)
Second Hand Smoke (Sublime Tribute) (www.myspace.com/secondhandsmokemusic)
Aaron Koppel Quartet (www.myspace.com/aaronkoppelmusic)
Creedence Again - World's Premier CCR Tribute (www.creedenceagain.com)
Let Me Introduce You To The End (www.letmeend.com)
Matt Nelson Trio (www.gigmasters.com/jazz/mattnelsontrio)
the 29th of February (www.myspace.com/the29thoffebruary)
He has also been accepted by Proship Entertainment, a cruise ship entertainment company, to play bass for various cruise lines in the onboard show band.
LOOKOUT for Graham Czach on these UPCOMING RELEASES!
Lupe Fiasco "L.A.S.E.R.S"
Chicago Afrobeat Project - covers album (untitled as of yet)
Let Me Introduce You To The End "Hands of Hope"
The 29th of February - (untitled as of yet)
EDUCATION:
Graham Czach began his musical career at the age of 8, and by the time he graduated from high school, Graham was already an accomplished upright and electric bassist, as well as a composer. What began with school and community orchestras soon developed into jazz and rock bands, starting with ska/rock band the Skalawags that also featured Kris Myers of Umphrey’s McGee (www.umphreys.com).
Graham continued his studies at Illinois Wesleyan University where he received a scholarship in music, and completed a BM in 2002 for Upright Bass Performance / Composition (double degree), and a minor in Voice. His main instructors included Judith Hanna, Dr. Vayo and Dr. Streeter. During this time he also had opportunities to play and study with such notable musicians as Ed Soph, William Warfield (Old Man River), Arvo Part, Orbert Davis, and Michael Hovnanian (CSO).
Some of Graham’s most notable collegiate accomplishments include the performance of one of his original string quartets by the internationally touring Cypress String Quartet (www.cypressquartet.com). He was actively involved with the theatre department, having played bass in productions of "Hair", "the Marriage of Figaro", "Candide", and "the Little Shop of Horrors". Graham also played out regularly with an original rock project called Father Thyme.
After college, Graham moved back to Chicago and released the album “First Case Scenario†2004 w/ Native Fiction (www.cdbaby.com/nativefiction).
Since then, Graham has recorded and performed with the best in the music industry constantly pushing forward and expanding the boundaries of music by blazing unique and original pathways. His passion and philosophy behind the music is to touch, unite, and make a difference in people's lives by spreading lasting universal messages through the only universal language, music. Graham strives to bring about change for the better in humanity and beyond...Namaste...
PRESS QUOTES:
"Graham Czach takes a solo that stakes his claim on Chicago's grand tradition of great bass players." - Neil Tesser (Jazz Critic - Jazziz, Jazz Times, Playboy, Chicago Reader, Sun-Times and more)
"..bassist Graham Czach and drummer Robert Tucker hold down the fort as solidly as any rhythm section on the scene today." - Matthew Warnock (www.allaboutjazz.com)
"Native Fiction has an original sound and a craftsmanlike approach to writing and singing, and I approve of all that." - Philip Pullman (Dark Materials and Golden Compass authror - www.philip-pullman.com)
DISCOGRAPHY:
Animosity (Wars Hell) – 1991
Skalawags (By Accident) – 1995
Father Thyme (Sir Alias EP) – 1998
IWU Phi Mu Alpha (A Musician’s Christmas vol. I) – 1998
Father Thyme (Live @ Lizard Lounge) – 1999
IWU Phi Mu Alpha (A Musician’s Christmas vol. II) – 2000
IWU Jazz Ensemble (2001:A Jazz Odyssey) – 2001
Blue Logic (EP) – 2001
Felix Jones (Pop Filter) – 2002
Native Fiction (First Case Scenario) – 2004
Native Fiction (Dissolve the Dark King EP) – 2005
Let Me Introduce You To The End (A Love of the Sea) – 2006
Aaron Koppel Quartet (the Wild Call of the Multi-Tasker) – 2007
Chicago Afrobeat Project ((A) Move To Silent Unrest) – 2007
Shawn Maxwell Quartet (Originals II) - 2008
GMG - 2008
Chicago Afrobeat Project (Off the Grid EP) - 2008
Aaron Koppel Quartet (Falling Together, Falling Apart) - 2009
Booking Jazz Bands Online Since 1997
*CONTACT* for bookings and any Upright/Electric bass, Vocal, Guitar, Composition, Instruction or Session Work -- Graham Czach (send myspace message)
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