Ollie McGill
Encyclopedia
Oliver "Ollie" McGill (born 2 November, 1981) is an Australia
n keyboardist
best known for his role as the keyboard player and backing vocalist
for The Cat Empire
. McGill is also a member of several other Melbourne
based bands, including The Genie (a fusion band), The Conglomerate
(a modern jazz quartet), and other bands such as Peaking Duck, The Future, 77, and Past Ollie's Bedtime.
Some of his favourite musicians are Herbie Hancock
, Phish
, C.H.I.P.S, Dave Brubeck
and Johann Sebastian Bach
.
He attended Wesley College, Melbourne
, Australia.
, Andy Baldwin, and at music festivals and concerts all over Australia and the world.
He also recorded a song with Thomas Emilio, a Melbourne based artist, called 'Woke Up Laughing'.
It was featured on Thomas Emilio's album of the same name.
As a child, he appeared in a TV commercial for Hungry Hungry Hippos
. He also appeared in the Australian film The Dish
as a talented pianist (which he is) in the background.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
best known for his role as the keyboard player and backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
for The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire are an Australian ska and jazz band formed in 1999. Core members are Harry James Angus , Will Hull-Brown , Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala , Ollie McGill , Ryan Monro and Felix Riebl...
. McGill is also a member of several other Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
based bands, including The Genie (a fusion band), The Conglomerate
The Conglomerate
The Conglomerate are a jazz quartet from Melbourne, Australia. The band consists of Harry Angus on trumpet and vocals, Ollie McGill on piano, Jules Pascoe on double bass and Harry Shaw-Reynolds on drums. McGill and Angus are also members of The Cat Empire....
(a modern jazz quartet), and other bands such as Peaking Duck, The Future, 77, and Past Ollie's Bedtime.
Some of his favourite musicians are Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
, C.H.I.P.S, Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
and Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
.
He attended Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
, Australia.
Notable achievements
McGill has played alongside many stars including one of America's most notable soul artists, James BrownJames Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Andy Baldwin, and at music festivals and concerts all over Australia and the world.
He also recorded a song with Thomas Emilio, a Melbourne based artist, called 'Woke Up Laughing'.
It was featured on Thomas Emilio's album of the same name.
As a child, he appeared in a TV commercial for Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos is a tabletop game made for young children, currently produced by Hasbro, under the brand of its subsidiary, Milton Bradley. It was published in 1967 and introduced in 1978...
. He also appeared in the Australian film The Dish
The Dish
The Dish is a 2000 Australian film that tells the story of how the Parkes Observatory was used to relay the live television of man's first steps on the moon, during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969...
as a talented pianist (which he is) in the background.
External links
- http://www.thecatempire.com.au
- http://www.theconglomerate.com.au
- http://www.myspace.com/geniemusic
- http://www.thecatempire.info/catalley/