1. Early Years

2. Career

3. Honours

4. Appearances
     As Band Leader    As Sideman  

5. Discography
     Albums  

6. References

Early Years

Born in Port Augusta, South Australia, Firth taught himself clarinet at age 5 by listening and then playing along to Benny Goodman, Buddy DeFranco and Artie Shaw recordings.^[1] Firth’s first public performance was performing Woody Herman’s clarinet hit, “The Golden Wedding” at the age of 9 years for a local pantomime production.^[1] By 14, Firth was working as a professional musician in South Australia. He then pursued studies at the South Australian College of Education in Adelaide where he received a Bachelor of Music degree (classical performance) and later a Diploma in Education. ^[1]

Career

Andy has worked with renowned artists such as B.B. King, the Phillip Morris Super band, Wynton Marsalis, Buddy DeFranco, Diana Krall, Don Lusher, Bud Shank, Kenny Ball, Acker Bilk, Dutch Swing College Band, Randy Brecker, James Moody, Tommy Banks and his all-star Big Band, Jeff Jarvis, Lee Konitz, Anthony Warlow, Tommy Emmanuel, Don Burrows, James Morrison, George Golla, Vince Jones, and many others.^[1][3][4][6] In addition to performing, Firth has given masterclasses throughout Australia, Canada, the United States, Germany, Holland and England.^[3][4][6]

Firth was also featured soloist for and studied composition and arranging with the late, Tommy Tycho, Australia's most celebrated pianist, arranger and conductor. ^[9][6]

In 2008, Firth was the headliner in a concert at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with jazz clarinetist, Buddy DeFranco.^[1][10] This concert awarded Firth the added distinction of being one of only very few Australians to be invited to perform at Carnegie hall billed under their own name. ^[1][6][10]

Since 2010, he has acted the leader of the Andy Firth Big Band and Nova Swing Jazz Band and as active as a composer and arranger, Firth has composed and registered over 700 musical works with the Australian Music Copyright Organisation (AMCOS). ^[1][3][6][8]

For the past twenty years, Firth has been Australian artist for Buffet Crampon, Keilwerth Saxophones, D’Addario Reeds and Lomax Classic mouthpieces, (the Andy Firth Jazz Model).^[3][6][11]

Firth continues to compose and arrange music, tours and teaches students via webcam and private tuition from his base in Newcastle, NSW Australia. ^{[1][6][10][8]}

Honours

Firth has been the recipient of many honours and awards. They include the Pro Musica Award for musical excellence (1986), Ricky May Jazz Encouragement Award (musician’s Union of Australia 1988), Australia Day Award (South Australian Young Citizen of the Year 1988), Australian Screen and Television Music Award for best music for an advertisement “Visa-Dining Out” (2002), the coveted Australian Mo Award for Best Live Jazz Instrumentalist in Australia, (2005 awarded in 2006), and a South Australian Jazz Achieves Award (2013). ^{[3][4][6][2][8]}

Appearances

As Band Leader

• Co-leader of the “BBC Quartet” (1984-1987)
• Leader of the “Andy Firth Quartet” (1990-present day)
• Leader of “Sax To The Max Student Saxophone Big Band” (2004-2007)
• Leader of the “Andy Firth Big Band” (2010-present day)
• Leader of “Nova Swing Jazz Band” (2013-present day)
• One Foot in the Groove (2016-present day)

As Sideman

• The Ron Till Quartet (1980-1983)
• The Peter Hooper Jazz Band (1984-1985)
• Co-leader of the “BBC Quartet” (1984-1987)
• James Morrison quintet (1988-1989)
• Galapagos Duck (1988-1990)
• The Hep Hounds (1990-1994)
• The Ed Wilson Big Band (1998-1999)
• The Australian Dave Brubeck Tribute Band (2013-2015)

Discography

Albums

• The BBC Trio (1985)
• The BBC Quartet: Runnin’ Wild (1986)
• Tribute to the Swing Era-16 Clarinet Big Band (1988)
• Live Jazz on Air: Andy Firth & The Bob Barnard Quartet (1988)
• Fresh Starts (1993)
• Let There Be Firth (1993)
• Colours (1994)
• Throughout Time (1995)
• Sweet ’N Swingin’ (1996)
• Swingin' Upstairs (1997)
• Andy Firth: Live At the York Jazz Festival (1998)
• The Heat’s On: Andy Firth & the Brisbane State High Big Band (1998)
• Andy Firth: Me, Myself & I: 16 Clarinet Big Band (2000)
• Sax To The Max! 16 Saxophone Big Band (2005)
• Andy Firth: Live in “Swingfield” USA 2006
• Andy Firth: The Clarinet Trios: Op.411, Op.413 & Op.414 (2006)
• Poco Latino (2007)
• Andy Firth: Duos & Quartets for Clarinet (2008)
• Only Two! Andy Firth Improvised Jazz Duets (2009)
• Montage (2009)
• Swing in the Benny Goodman Style (2010)
• Dates with Firth (2012)
• Seems Like Old Times - Andy Firth & Bruce Hancock (2013)
• Chill! Andy Firth & Ian Date (2013)
• Christmas Time is Here (2014 re-released and re-mixed 2015)
• Andy Firth’s Nova Swing Jazz Band Live at Theatre Australia (2015)
• Andy Firth: Sounds of the Big Bands-Volume 1 (2015)
• Andy Firth: Sounds of the Big Bands-Volume 2 (2015)
• Andy Firth: Sounds of the Big Bands-Volume 3 (2016)
• Andy Firth: Sounds of the Big Bands-Volume 4 (2016)
• Our Delight: Andy Firth & Bruce Hancock (2017)
• Sax on the Mind: Andy Firth (2017)
• Sax on the Beach: Andy Firth (2017)

References

• Maladera insanabilis
• Maladera Matrida
• Maladers
• Maladers GR
• Maladers (Graubünden)
• Maladers (Grisons)
• Maladers, Switzerland
• Maladicta
• Malad Idaho
• Malad, Idaho
• Maladie d’amour (song)
• Malad (India)
• Mala Dinka
• Maladministration
• Malad (Mumbai suburb)
• Maladolescenza
• Mala Domasa
• Malad River (Gooding County, Idaho)
• Malady
• Maladzechna
• Maladzyechna Air Base
• Malaefou MacKenzie
• Malaesti
• Malaetasi M. Togafau
• Malaetasi Togafau