Thin Lizzy

Harry Coulson is a Melbourne-based guitarist and composer whose distinctive style has earned praise from some of Australia’s most respected jazz performers and teachers. He graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music Performance and completed his honours in the same at Monash University in 2012. He has studied and performed with renowned musicians such as James Muller, Tony Gould, Geoff Hughes, Steven Magnusson, Eugene Ball, Chris Hale, Shannon Barnett, Paul Williamson, Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band), Ross Irwin (The Cat Empire) and Dave Pietro (NYU). While at Monash he was a finalist in the jazz and popular studies prize and attended the Jazz summer workshops at NYU. He has performed and toured nationally with The Blackburn Big Band, The High Society, The Marvellous Reject Girl (Freya Bennett) and the Brad Martin Project and has played at many of Melbourne’s premier music venues as well as live on air for channel 7 and ABC 774. His debut album Harry Coulson’s Rain Dogs with Louis Gill (bass) and James Thompson (Drums) was recorded in January 2014 under the production of renowned composer and producer Jonathan Dreyfus and was the recipient of an Arts Victoria grant for promotional costs in 2015. In addition to his training in the jazz idiom, he has studied the works of classical masters, which has further expanded his compositional and improvisational technique.

"Harry Coulson’s instrumental jazz trio of guitar, bass and drums draws from a wide array of influences. They bring the technical athleticism of their jazz chops, but flesh it out with a rocky, even post-rock listenability. They list The Dirty Three and Mark Ribot as influences, and I’m guessing -from the name- that Tom Waits is in there too, but I’m sure there’s more to it. At any rate, one of the most approachable contemporary jazz records I’ve heard in ages." (Chris Cobcroft – 4ZZZ)

"The disc, in my opinion , is eclectic and unusual, a real mix of jazz and blues influenced music, featuring some excellent musicianship. The guitar work is outstanding, as is the drums and bass, and together makes the package an interesting listen. The way the drums and guitar interact while the bass holds everything together is something to relish . I think this would be a must have disc for fans of jazz/blues and for people who like to truly feel drawn into the music, and certainly not for those who want the normal background elevator style." (Dave Anger – 2MCR)