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Didi Mudigdo
Jazz pianist & vocalist from Sydney Australia
About Me
A consummate jazz pianist and vocalist, Didi Mudigdo has performed in festivals and jazz
clubs around Australia, Japan, China and South-East Asia. In 2005 he was a Top 10 finalist in
the 2005 Australian National Songwriting Contest (jazz category) and was the most-
downloaded jazz artist on mp3.com.au. Born in Australia to Indonesian parents, he had a
multinational upbringing living in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka,
then graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1997. Since then, as well as
touring Australia and Asia, he has recorded with several Sydney recording artists, and
released recordings of his own, the most recent being Didi Three Live (2008) which was
recorded live at the Sapporo Jazz Festival in Japan.
My Jazz Story
I love jazz because: (pass)
I was first exposed to jazz from my parents' LPs, specifically the Nat King Cole records and
Sergio Mendes Brazil '66 record. In my early teens, my father took me to see many jazz
performances, and that was also a strong influence.
I met and jammed with Russel Malone at a late night Sydney jazz bar Lady Blues back in the
early 90's. Ben Wolfe was on bass. I can't remember who the rest of the guys were, they
were all from Harry Connick Jr's band. To a young jazz pianist starting out, it was like jazz
angels had dropped in from the sky.
The best shows I ever attended were Blossom Dearie playing in a duo at Sydney's Basement
with bassist Phil Scorgie, Australia's Mark Isaacs Trio tearing up Blue Bossa also at the
Basement. UK's Incognito, again Basement.
The first jazz record I bought was Stan Getz & Friends, a cassette tape in Verve's "Walkman
Jazz" series back in 1989. Unintentionally it was great collection to start with, as it featured
Dizzy, Chick, Bill Evans, Ella, Gerry Mulligan and more, all on the one cassette tape!
My advice to new listeners: there's some awesome magic out there in the form of jazz
records, and now there's Wikipedia, Last FM etc. Happy hunting!
