Robert Graham

Artist Information

Biography

Robert Graham has always been both a fan and creator of "hooky" music.

Growing up both in British Columbia and Western Australia, from an early age Graham divided his time equally between honing his skills as a piano player and attempting to learn every song on the radio!

Now he has released his OWN album.

Together with producer CHRIS BROWN (Borboun Tabernacle Choir, Kate Fenner, DJ Logic, Tragically Hip), Graham has released "STORM IN A TEACUP", a wickedly eclectic album of songs which has been described as "ingenious, sophisticated pop music with more twists and turns then your average Agatha Christie thriller"

Graham's pop, rock, and soul album has already garnered him an Honorable Mention in the 2010 BILLBOARD WORLD SONG CONTEST, a semifinal placement in the 2010 DALLAS SONGWRITERS ASSOCIATION SONGWRITING ASSOCIATION, a finals placement in the IRL Music Consultants MIDEM FRANCE 2011 CONTEST, as well as a place in the finals of the iSTARS TALENT CONTEST. His songs have secured a licensing deal in Italy and will feature in an upcoming Australian feature film.

The album is an engaging mix of hook-laden pop, rock, blues and dance tracks with guest appearances by NYC heavyweights TEDDY KUMPEL (Rickie Lee Jones, Trent Reznor), ANTON FIER (Herbie Hancock, the Lounge Lizards), ROB JOST (Tony Scherr Trio, Ursa Minor), and TONY SCHERR (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones), with cameos from ERIC SCHENKMAN (Spin Doctors) and FORD PIER (DOA, the Rheostatics), not to mention Kingston Ontario's own Eli and John Abrams of the fabulous ABRAMS BROTHERS.

Graham has worked as a professional pianist, accompanist, vocalist, music director, and played with many multi-genre bands on two continents. He has toured the UK twice with Canadian roots supergroup "Tanglefoot" (Winner - Best Vocal Group - 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards) and performed with Australia's "Los Chasquis" and the "Michael George Band" (Kingston Ontario)

He has appeared in opening slots for such diverse acts as the Leahy, David Wilcox, Natalie McMaster, KellieLee Evans, Shooglenifty, and the Cowboy Junkies.

Robert Graham has lived in British Columbia, Perth Australia and now lives in Toronto Ontario.

Links to video performance footage, radio and video interviews, and T.V. appearances can be found below.

Instrumentation

Robert Graham - keyboard and lead vocals.

Chris Brown - organ, keyboards and backing vox

Dan Charbonneau - lead guitar and backing vox

Gerald McGrath - rhythm guitar

Alec Barken - bass

Andy Love - drums and backing vox

Discography

"Storm in a Teacup" (album)

released June 2009:

Several tracks have received airplay in the UK, Canada, the U.S. and Australia (including the BBC, CBC, ABC and NPR) as well as many internet radio stations

"Living in a Coma" gained Honorable Mention status in the 2010 BILLBOARD WORLD SONG CONTEST and will also be featured in an upcoming Australian feature film called "From Parts Unknown"

"Don't Go" reached the semi-finals of the 2010 DALLAS SONGWRITERS ASSOCIATION SONGWRITING CONTEST, the finals of the IRL Music Consultants MIDEM FRANCE 2011 CONTEST and was a runner-up in the iSTARS Talent Contest. It has also elicited an in store radio licensing deal in Italy. ]

"Don't Go" was also added to the PostMedia National Playlist (April 2011) and the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC) CBC Radio 3 "Members Playlist" - December 2010.

Links

• Facebook
• "Storm in a Teacup" Album Launch Video
• "Daytime Ottawa" TV Interview and Performance
• CBC 1 "Bandwidth" Interview Jan 23 2010
• NCPR Radio Interview December 9 2009

Audio

• Believe in Love mastered final
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• Don't Go
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• Living in a Coma
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• Jonathon Baker
  Listen   Download
• Sunshine
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• In Love With a Girl
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• Set it Free (Afro - Astro Mix)
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• Reaching You
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• Set it Free
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• Instrumental - "Living in a Coma"
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Believe in Love
• Reaching You
• Sunshine
• Don't Go
• Living in a Coma
• Set it Free
• Jonathon Baker
• In Love with a Girl

Video

"Storm in a Teacup" - highlight video (short version)

Photo Gallery

Press

• BBC Tees Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Ingenious sophisticated pop music with more twists and turns then the average Agatha Christie thril..."Ingenious sophisticated pop music with more twists and turns then the average Agatha Christie thriller"

• BBC Cambridge Review
  

  "Diverse and inspiring!"

• CBC Review (Mark Rheaume) [+ Show ]
  

  "Robert Graham has played many different types of music over the years, from salsa with Australia's ..."Robert Graham has played many different types of music over the years, from salsa with Australia's Los Chasquis to take-no-prisoners roots with Canada's own Tanglefoot. But he's absorbed a lot of pop influences as a fan - everyone from Steely Dan to Van Halen. All of the sounds come into play on his highly impressive debut solo album "Storm in a Teacup".
  
  "Should have great appeal across the board"

• CBC 1 "Bandwidth" [+ Show ]
  

  "Storm in a Teacup" is an eclectic romp through Robert's collection of influences. From jangling Bil..."Storm in a Teacup" is an eclectic romp through Robert's collection of influences. From jangling Billy Joel to quirky David Bowie, you can hear
  it all but done in Robert's fresh, new way. He is a force on the piano!"
  
  "(the musicians on the album) are a real list of who's who... "Storm in a Teacup" has a really wide appeal....within the album anybody could find ten things that they will gravitate to and grab on to...it's an excellent achievement."

• Todd Hunter (Dragon) [+ Show ]
  

  "This album rocks. It's a soulful outing from Robert Graham and we (Dragon) love his version of Sun... "This album rocks. It's a soulful outing from Robert Graham and we (Dragon) love his version of Sunshine."
  
  Todd Hunter (founding member of Dragon and inductee into the Australian Rock+Roll Hall of Fame) (Dec 2, 2009)
  

• Robert Graham's Debut CD Is Turning Heads Musically [+ Show ]
  

  "All of the original songs on "Storm in a Teacup" sound like A-sides.....(the songs) show off ...
  "All of the original songs on "Storm in a Teacup" sound like A-sides.....(the songs) show off Graham's virtuoso musicianship, exemplary rock vocals, and smart lyrics...addictive melodies and clever lyrics that turn your head when you first hear them and stick in there long after the song is over....a remarkable pastiche of influences..... (his) scintillating work on the piano and versatile voice...help(ed) bring to fruition Graham's vision of an album featuring stong harmonies, catchy melodies, and hooks you just can't shake."
  
  "Robert Graham would have made an excellent Jeff Lynne. Maybe even a Donald Fagen or an Ian Anderson....a brilliant debut album."
  
  
  
  

• There's Nothing Wrong with Covering the Map [+ Show ]
  

  "Albums are supposed to belong to specific genre...and if the artist refuses to conform, well, ... "Albums are supposed to belong to specific genre...and if the artist refuses to conform, well, he's "all over the map"....Never mind. Throw away the bloody map. Good music should always strive to exceed its classification. And Robert Graham should take "unclassifiable" as a compliment.
  ..."Storm in a Teacup" is, at least on the vocal side, more than a few parts Danald Fagen, with a dash of Neil Young......Graham lined up some top notch musicians for this indie effort....an eclectic musical mix.
  To be sure, there is a map for listening to Graham's inaugural effort, albeit a big one. But you will enjoy the trip.
  
  Ronald Zajac - Brockville Recorder October 16 2009

• Album Full of International Flavour [+ Show ]
  

  ....full of international flavour....an unusual album....a stellar group of musicians (has been) ass.......full of international flavour....an unusual album....a stellar group of musicians (has been) assembled.

• TAXI Critique [+ Show ]
  

  What a clever, fun, fresh song! Really enjoyed listening..... as a song, it works on many levels... What a clever, fun, fresh song! Really enjoyed listening..... as a song, it works on many levels. I would love to hear more from you! This has a great, timeless quirky vibe to it. Reminds me a bit of the Beatles.....the whole piece is really inventive. Well done! The eclectic nature of this song works well.......
  
  (submission critique for the track "Jonathon Baker")
  
  TAXI (Jan 17, 2011)
  

• The Scoop Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  "Wow! That's my first response........Robert Graham's credentials and experience are stellar. He... "Wow! That's my first response........Robert Graham's credentials and experience are stellar. He has paid his dues and now it's time for him to shine and he does that in spades.......Robert's vocal versatility shines throughout....all the best grooves and melodies that pop, rock funk and blues has to offer.....delivers that ozone freshness after a summer thunderstorm."
  
  Barb Wilson - the Scoop (Dec 15, 2009)
  

Setlist

Our Set list is varied and variable, depending on the requirements of the gig, and the nature of the audience and setting.

My music can be played with a band numbering anywhere from 4 to 6, a band of two, and even by myself (with backing tracks taken directly from the album

6 PIECE BAND

The full band plays the tracks from "Storm in a Teacup" with full backing vocals - plus some my newer songs. If it's a longer gig then we play some of the best 70/80's covers - ie "Message in a Bottle" "Doctor My Eyes, "Jump" (yes Van Halen!), Video Killed the Radio Star", and songs from Joe Jackson, Talking Heads, ELO, Beatles, Steely Dan and others.

4 OR 5 PIECE BAND

The same songs as the 6 piece, but with one less guitarist and/or keyboardist.

2 PIECE BAND

Myself and a drummer. I play the songs off the album and my new songs. The cover tunes venture into more of the piano based pop/rock repertoire from the 70s/80s - Jackson Browne, early Elton John, Joe Jackson, Billy Joel etc and also some jazz standards - good dancing stuff - just no guitars!

SOLO GIG:

I play nearly all the songs of the album and the new songs. The repetoire is based on the songs I play as a duo. If the gig is more of a concert than I will thrown in some covers of ballads along the lines of "Levon"," Ain't No Sunshine", and "Alison"

Basic Requirements

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