Jeff Usher

Jeff Usher has been active on the Brisbane and Australian jazz scene for four decades, starting with his earliest appearances at the former Qld Jazz Action Society at Gardens Point Campus Club and at Brisbane Jazz Club in 1980. Since then, Jeff has built a considerable reputation across Australia, not only as a band leader, but also as a solo pianist, composer/songwriter, arranger, vocalist and music educator. Jeff’s career has included performances and workshops in France, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Jeff is known for his ability to play virtually every type of jazz from swing to fusion, and is right at home playing the blues. He has worked in other forms of music, including rock-n-roll, r&b, country, folk and world music.

Jeff has released seven albums under his own name, mostly featuring his own compositions, the most recent being “Bird Wings: Jeff Usher and A Love Supreme Super Band Live at Brisbane Jazz Club”, released in 2015.

Jeff has been a member of Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University’s Jazz Faculty since 1998, founding the Australia and New Zealand Original Compositions Ensemble there in 2012.

Jeff received his Master’s degree at QCGU in 2007, and his PhD in music composition from the University of Queensland in 2019.

Currently Jeff is collaborating with multi-instrumentalist Francis Gilfedder and tabla master Ravi Singh, as Oz-India with Jeff Usher, combining jazz ideas with music from India and elsewhere, including Australia’s first peoples.

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