Member Since: 3/2/2006
Band Website: aussiejazz.com.au/osakamusic
Band Members: It started with front lawn gigs for the neighbours with hand puppets that sang eidelweiss. A few years on it was Tina Turner at dinner parties...Life continued thus until Kimba discovered a dusty old recording of Billy Holiday singing 'what's new?'. It's fair to say she grew up musically on the stage. From humble beginnings and with lots of mentorship, inspiration and hard yakka, what emerged was a voice that melts hard hearts, sends stars spinning over people's heads and that hugs and holds you close with every note. After many attempts at the shoobie doobie side of jazz, Kimba has arrived home, to a welcoming hearth of sweet phrases, rough and rusty tales and contagious emotion tucked within each lyric.
After two years honing her craft in Japan, and a magical 8 year journey with her constant musical companion and partner in adventure, husband Ryan Griffith, Kimba is soon to return home with two very exciting musical projects to play with in 2007. Stay tuned as she unwraps each enticing layer off her lush and unique new sound.
Kimba recently appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, garnering a four star review and working her polka dot pumps off, She appeared with Miss Kimba's Speakeasy stomp, featuring
Kimba Griffith - Vocals, tap shoes, vocal trombone
Rajiv Jayaweera - Drums
Ben Gillespie - Trombone, Vocals, Ukelele
Ryan Griffith - Guitar, Shamisen, Band Leader
Rodrigo Aravena- Bass
Her solid project for the last eight years has been Swingin' Both Ways, a feisty, funny, and melodic duo with guitarist husband Ryan Griffith.The comparisons to Tuck and Patti may be understandable, but not quite accurate. For one, Ryan doesn't have as much hair as Tuck, and they haven't yet displayed out matching wedding bands in promo shots...
Influences: Oh so many...Primary influences include Anita O'day, Chris Connor, Mel Torme, Nat Cole, Helen Humes, Ella Mae Morse and especially Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and my own "Mr Miagi", Julie O'hara. Of course, Billie, Sarah, Ella, Carmen and the others continue to inspire, as do Bobby McFerrin, Lester Young, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Slim Guillard, Dexter Gordon, Tuvan throat singers, Lee Morgan, Nick Drake, Betty Carter, Eric Satie, Keith Jarrett, Kodaly, Debussy, Steve Reich, Joe Pass,
Sounds Like: Everyone and no one
Type of Label: None