Featured Composer: Ross Irwin
Ross James Irwin has cemented himself as a kind of musical mastermind in Australia. As a multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger, he’s been a go-to guy for Paul Kelly, Passenger, Angus and Julia Stone, Josh Pyke, Thelma Plum, Seth Sentry, The Paper Kites, Brooke Fraser, Gossling, You Am I, Washington, The Cat Empire, and The Bamboos, as well as working with international music legends Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen), Suzi Quatro, Belle and Sebastian, Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Stax legend Eddie Floyd, Ben Elton, Patrick Watson, and that’s just to name a small few. As a large-scale composer and singer/songwriter, he has an almost iconic underground status, having a slew of live shows all across the country under his belt, as well as having music and songs featured on numerous films, documentaries, and Australian TV shows.
His status in the jazz world is equally impressive, having played with many great local and international musicians such as Harry Connick Jr., Bill Watrous, Gordon Goodwin, James Morrison, Alan Vizutti, Wyclyffe Gordon, Leroy Jones, Emma Pask, Jim Pugh and Joe Bataan.
Having explored and played in over 300 cities across 35 countries, Irwin marries his experience of exploring the world to his music. The result is a vast and multi-colored musical landscape with many dark twists and turns melded with brilliant moments of euphoria. His three individually unique solo releases, “The Hunting Road” (2011), “Wasted” (2013), and “The Wild” (2015), are unmistakably the sign of an amazingly talented and enigmatic artist.
“Surrounded by instruments, Irwin gives anyone considering jumping on a loop station in the near future instant clinical depression. Roscoe James Irwin is the real deal” – Glenn Waller: themusic.com.au
“An immensely talented artist” – The AU Review
“Roscoe James Irwin is clearly one of Australia’s most talented writers and multi-instrumentalists” – Leah Phillips: The Ripe / TV