Graeme Lyall
Graeme 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 at the Palais Ballroom and The Embers night club in Melbourne. At 19 he moved to Sydney and at 22 was appointed as a musician and arranger with the TCN 9 Orchestra.
Graeme moved back to Melbourne in 1971 to take up an appointment as composer, arranger and record producer at Armstrong Studios. He was a member of the ABC Melbourne Showband for 3 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 4 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.
Press quote
“Lyall displays a pure tone and an ability to play intricate lines with impeccable control ... strikingly attractive music.”
— The Age
Graeme Lyall is featured on the following titles
The Art of Melody
Jazz legends Tony Gould (piano) and Graeme Lyall (saxophone) present superb interpretations of many well-know standards. They are joined by Ben Robertson on double bass and Joe Batrouney playing drums.
Performer: Saxophone
Seasons of Love
This CD combines a jazz trio, a string orchestra, and various featured instrumental soloists, not to mention the vocal talents of Gian Slater and Eddie Perfect. Graeme Lyall has provided superbly rich arrangements of songs from the Great American Songbook in addition to other notable tunes.
Performer: Saxophone
The Last Will and Testament of John Sangster
Tony Gould, Len Barnard, Graeme Lyall and friends. A fitting musical tribute to one of Australia's unsung heroes of jazz - John Sangster - by some of this country's top performers.
Performer: Soprano Saxophone
The Tony Gould Quartet - Live In Concert
Some of the best captured live in concert! This CD of well-known and much loved jazz pieces features the acclaimed jazz pianist Tony Gould and one of Australia's greatest saxophonists, Graeme Lyall.
Performer: Saxophone
Graeme Lyall also appears on
Jazz music series 5: Ripper
The fifth and final volume in John Sangster's jazz series of Suites that he wrote for a lively little orchestra featuring some of Australia's finest jazz musicians.
Performer: Saxophone
Jazz music series 4: Take that
John Sangster's "lively little orchestra", a group of some of Australia's finest jazz musicians, reaches volume four in a series of Suites.
Performer: Tenor Saxophone
Jazz music series 3: Steady lads
This is the third in a series of Suites written by John Sangster for a lively little orchestra comprising some of Australia's finest jazz musicians.
Performer: Tenor Saxophone
Jazz music series 2: Requiem (for a loved one)
Volume 2 out of 5 written by John Sangster and performed by his "fine small orchestra" that includes some of Australia's foremost jazz musicians.
Performer: Saxophone
Jazz music series 1: Don't mean a thing if it ain't got that doo-wup
As John Sangster put it, "Here is the first in a series of Suites written for this lively little orchestra, a gathering that includes some of Australia's finest jazz musicians."
Performer: Saxophone
Tony Gould on the Art of Creative Music
This is a tribute to revered Australian pianist, praised educator and musical thinker Dr Tony Gould, Australia’s first professor of jazz. It comprises an audio CD and bonus one-hour video DVD documentary.
Performer: Saxophone
Uttered Nonsense (The Owl and the Pussycat)
Uttered nonsense, (The Owl and the Pussycat), consists eight works of Edward Lear, spoken with the utmost gravity by Mr Ivan Smith, and set to music of the most nonsensical nature by John Sangster.
Performer: Tenor and Soprano Saxophones and Clarinet
Landscapes of Middle Earth
We complete our restored re-release of John Sangster's jazz-inspired view of Tolkien's epic tale with this the fourth and final work in the series. Originally a double LP released in the late 1970s, this album finally met the CD age late in 2006.
Performer: Alto and Tenor Saxophones
The Lord of the Rings, Volume 3
This is the third volume of jazz composer John Sangster's classic epic musical interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings'. Originally a double-LP set issued by EMI over 25 years ago it has never been available on CD until now.
Performer: Soprano and Tenor Saxophones
The Lord of the Rings, Volume 2
Here is the second volume of jazz composer John Sangster's classic epic musical interpretation of The Lord of the Rings. Originally a double-LP set issued by EMI over 25 years ago it has never been available on CD until now.
Performer: Soprano and Tenor Saxophones
The Lord of the Rings, Volume 1
This is not the Howard Shore movie soundtrack but a re-release of jazz/film composer John Sangster's epic attempt to musically portray the events and characters of Tolkien's triology. Not only that, it pre-dates the current film by over 25 years and it's wholly Australian!
Performer: Soprano and Tenor Saxophones
Chronicle: Orchestral Music Of Tony Gould
The definition of the word "chronicle" — put briefly "a record of events" — aptly fits the content of this recording. Chronicle forms an inspiring record of musical events in the life of Tony Gould, one of Australia's most creative musicians and composers.
Performer: Saxophone
Gould Plays Gould
Some of Australia's finest players of spontaneous, improvised music display their remarkable talents on this disc compiled from two previously released LPs. Conducted by John Sangster.
