About COMA
COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide) is an association that was formed in 2005. COMA is a musician-led, musician-focused, member based not-for-profit association. It presents a unique opportunity for the creative development and artistic endeavour of a broad range of Australian composers and performers. It is committed to presenting and raising the profile of original music in Adelaide, and indeed Australia.
COMA has been initiated by a core of local musicians who are passionate about increasing opportunities in Adelaide for emerging and established musicians who write and perform quality original music, whether this be in the genre of jazz, improvised, classical, electronic or mixed-style music, and who also feel that Adelaide's musical community would greatly benefit from the sense of unity and support that such an association and its activities provide.
The Committee
Anna Butterss
Anna Butterss has established herself as a leading jazz bassist in Adelaide. She has worked with many of the finest local musicians, including Chris Soole, the Mike Stewart Big Band and the New Cabal. She has also performed with Michelle Nicolle and Australian jazz icon Mike Nock, as well as supporting John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. In 2010 Anna received a scholarship from the University of Adelaide to spend a semester at Indiana University in the Jazz Studies program headed by David Baker. During her time in Bloomington IN, she was lucky enough to work with a range of outstanding musicians, creating original music. Anna is currently completing her Honours in Jazz Performance at the Elder Conservatorium, and can be seen performing regularly around Adelaide.
Emily Tulloch
Emily Tulloch completed her BMus with first class Honours at the Elder Conservatorium in 2004 and is currently undertaking Masters in violin performance and Spanish at Adelaide University. She has been a member of the Zephyr Quartet since late 2005 which in 2008 has collaborated in a sold-out season with Leigh Warren and Dancers, been seen on ABCTV’s Sunday Arts program, and is self-presenting a three concert series. She has been involved in youth music ensembles for a number of years, maintaining an active role in the development of the Adelaide Youth Orchestra from its inception to 2005, acting as Concertmaster/Mentor in 2004-5. Emily has also attended many Australian Youth Orchestra programs, working with such renowned musicians as Helena Rathbone, Cho-Liang Lin and Jane Peters, and has performed with the Orchestra’s various ensembles across Australia. She has been a member of Musica Viva’s Menage committee and recently joined COMA in July 2008.
Georgie Aue
James Brown
Artistic Director
James was a member of the original COMA committe in 2005 and after a few years abroad has again become a member. The guitarist has quickly reestablished himself as an active participent in Adelaide's original music scene, currently leading his own project 'Only The Sky', as well as collaborating with other local, interstate and international musicians. James is or has been a member of a number of Adelaide's most prominent instrumental groups, including Splinter Group, Kubrick, The Raucoustra, 1.1 Immermann and most recently the Grand Szechuan (feat. Rick Gooch - NZ).
John Collins
Lyndon Gray
Lyndon is an Adelaide born bass player and composer currently performing with jazz outfit The New Cabal. Originally an Honours graduate of the Elder Conservatorium, his career has taken him around the world and found him performing music ranging beyond his chosen field of study, jazz.
Trained as a jazz musician, Lyndon has performed with many top Australian players including Jamie Oehlers, Ted Vining and Steve Magnusson. He has led his own trio, Triptych, for over five years now. This ensemble has recorded two albums of original music and performed around Australia, including Australia’s premier jazz festival, the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz.
Outside of the jazz world, Lyndon has enjoyed success with the folk/alternative country ensemble The Audreys. The band has toured extensively throughout Australia at many high profile festivals and also overseas, in the UK, France, Canada, USA and Russia. As a member of the group Lyndon has won two ARIA awards for the albums “Between Last Night and Us” and “When the Flood Comes”.
Lyndon has also been able to perform with groups from a wide variety of genres, including neo-classical outings and dance based electronic groups. He is currently developing music for an ensemble featuring two double basses.
Sam Cagney
Artistic Director
Born in Whyalla, Sam moved to Adelaide in 2006 to commence Jazz Guitar studies at the Elder Conservatorium. During his time there he was fortunate enough to perform with Ray Vega (USA), Jon Gordon (USA) and was a member of the Downbeat award winning Big Band One. He graduated from the Conservatorium in 2009 with first class honours and can be heard performing around Adelaide as member of Adelaide Guitarchestra, The Chris Soole Quartet and with his own trio.
Thomas Pulford
Chairperson
Tom Pulford is a saxophonist and composer who has been involved with various musical projects for the last ten years, both locally and abroad. Completing his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance at the Elder Conservatorium in 1998, Tom's acheivments include winning the Barossa Valley Winemakers' Jazz Scholarship in 2003, enabling him to travel to New York in the following year and study with saxophonists Vincent Herring and Rich Perry. Major musical projects over the years include Van Gelder, Isotope and the Mike Stewart Big Band. Tom has performed with jazz artist Vincent Herring (USA), Bob Mintzer (USA), Don Burrows, Jon Gordon (USA), Ray Vega (USA), Rhonda Burchmore, David Campbell, the Bob Johnson Big Band, the Boss Quartet, the Adelaide Art Orchestra and the Martini Orchestra. Since graduating Tom has also been involved in music education, teaching saxophone and clarinet and leading stage bands at several high schools and colleges throughout Adelaide. Tom has been a COMA member since 2005 and has recently joined the committee.