Michael J Brady

Michael J Brady (he/him) is a Sydney-based musician with a foot in several scenes, manoeuvring through jazz, art, and indie circles, with a passion for creating music honestly and in the moment. Working primarily a guitarist; he draws on effects, voice, and multiple instruments as a means of exploring and sharing sound.

Working as an improvising artist, Michael explores the intersections between jazz, indie-rock, and ‘free’ practices. Since 2016 he has led and composed for the Michael J Brady Trio, exploring shifting textures within the improvised trio format. In 2020, he was awarded the UNSW School of Arts and Media Alumni Residency to develop a new body of work for the group. He has also featured as a soloist in a number of Sydney jazz groups including Foshe, Funk Engine, The New Young Northside Big Band, and Geoff Power’s Great Gatsby Orchestra.

In addition to his work within jazz-adjacent improvisation, Michael has worked in a number of interdisciplinary collaborations. These have included work with performance artists, spoken word artists, and interactive installations. These works have been exhibited at Barangaroo, Bedrock Collective, the Sydney Fringe Festival, and the This Is Not Art Festival (Newcastle). In 2021 he was selected to attend the Australian Art Orchestra’s Creative Music Intensive in Mount Hotham, Victoria.

Since 2014, Michael has been a present guitarist in the Sydney Indie rock scene. He is a founding member in indie-rock outfit Jackie Brown Jr, performing on guitar, keys, and backing vocals. He has completed three successful east coast tours with the group, releasing their debut EP ‘Over Abroad’ in 2018. In 2020 they released the single ‘Dead Bodies’ with follow up singles to come in 2021. He has also worked with a number of Sydney’s fastest rising indie & D.I.Y artists including: Harley Mavis, Good Pash, Olgar Solar, and Astrals.

In 2023 Michael is dedicating energy into new works with both the Michael J Brady Trio and Jackie Brown Jr. In addition to developing his own work, he is excitedly looking for more collaborations, sessions, and whatever might come his way.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Music (honours)/Bachelor of Education at the University of New South Wales (2018) and has presented research at the Australasian Jazz and Improvisation Research Network conference (2017). During his studies he was awarded a student exchange scholarship (2015) to study at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University (Montreal). In 2023, he attended the Siena Jazz Workshop in Siena Italy, studying with teachers including Matt Stevens, Reinier Baas, Gilad Hekselman, Mike Moreno, Ambrose Akinmusire, Michael Mayo and Matt Penman.