Graeme Stephen
Graeme Stephen was born in Aberdeen. Now living in Edinburgh, he performs with numerous projects, playing a wide array of styles from free improvisation to folk music.
Graeme released his first CD with his trio in 2006, supported by the Scottish Arts Council featuring New York based musician Eivind Opsvik on bass and drummer Stuart Ritchie.
Graeme also leads the Graeme Stephen Sextet. This group was formed early in 2005 and perfomed throughout Scotland including concerts at Aberdeen Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Ceilidh Culture and was broadcast on Radio Scotland. Graeme’s compositions for this group are influenced by the different members of the Sextet, which include folk, jazz and classical disciplines.
The Graeme Stephen Sextet was selected for the Jazz Services Promoters Choice Award 2006 and performed at the London Jazz Festival and Manchester Jazz Festival. In 2007, Graeme was one of the eight musicians from the UK to be part of Jerwood and Serious Music’s Take Five initiative.
Graeme performs and composes with Newt, a trio comprising trombone, guitar and drums, which is heavily influenced by free improvisation. He also performs regularly with the Fraser Fifield Band.
“Graeme Stephen has absorbed a whole range of influences from the classic pre-bop of Charlie Christian through to contemporary icons like Bill Frisell but is finding his own way to make use of that legacy” The Scotsman
“Stephen’s music speaks loudly of ambition, imagination, nous, and harmonic adventure yet teemed with the sort of tuneful realisation that swells the heart” Rob Adams – The Herald
