Anders Griffen

Anders Griffen is best known as a New York-based sideman, an accompanist playing drums (and sometimes trumpet) in diverse contexts from folk to rock, jazz to modern dance theater. Among songwriters he has performed and recorded with Jeffrey Lewis, Regina Spektor, Kimya Dawson, Diane Cluck, Dufus, John Ludington, Paleface, Ish Marquez, and Lonesome Crew. As a jazz artist he has recorded and performed, most notably with the late, great, tenor saxophonist, Frank Lowe (of Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, and Don Cherry fame).

As a composer, arranger, and sometimes song-writer, Anders has led a couple of groups, but has mostly recorded alone, playing all of the instruments himself, with support from Scott Fragala on bass, and other occasional collaborators like Regina Spektor!

Also check-out: www.myspace.com/AndersGriffen

Anders Griffen's folks are musicians... He grew up that way... His Mom is retired after a career with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra playing flute and piccolo there for some thirty years (took a brief intermission in the middle to go with the N.Y. Philharmonic); and his Dad was a first-call studio french horn player in New York, played with everybody and everybody (from Dizzy Gillespie to David Byrne, from Charles Mingus to Paul Simon).


Antifolk...

Happening upon the NYC song-writers in and around the Antifolk scene Anders played drums (and sometimes trumpet) with Jeffrey Lewis, Kimya Dawson, Regina Spektor, Paleface, Dufus, Knot Pinebox, Turner Cody, Lonesome Crew, Ish Marquez, and others. With Jeffrey completed five European tours, a record on Rough Trade, and a Live "PeeL" session with the legend himself. He's shared tours with: Cornershop, They Might Be Giants, Diane Cluck, Herman Dune, and others...


Jazz...

Before finding the songwriters, Anders played in a couple of great line-ups with the late, great, FRANK LOWE (Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry). They made a record in tribute to Charles Moffett, and performed a couple of European tours, one of those in tribute to Denis Charles... These two drummers blessed Anders with their chair in bands with Frank Lowe. Anders has also played with the likes of Henry Warner, Chris Parker, Bertha Hope, Michael Marcus, Roy Campbell, Steve Neil, and others...


Dance...

Anders has also collaborated with choreographers in various contexts, including Kraig Patterson, Kathleen Cruz, Ryan Kellie, Sue Hogan, and John Morris, at Purchase College, University Settlement, Merce Cunningham, Joyce SoHo...


As a leader...

Anders made one jazz album with the group Zoom! called, "Screaming Flowers", and three "solo" albums: All Over the Place, Ox, and Volume 2.

The records are sorta 'out-of-print' right now, but you can hear some highlights at this site.

You can also hear Anders with Regina Spektor at www.ReginaSpektor.net

Also check-out: www.myspace.com/AndersGriffen