Endorsements

My sincere thanks to all those who have written a few words about me over the years - including those below from the world of show business and journalism:-

"The first time I heard Ian Griffin play I was mesmerised by his brilliance.  He is the most talented keyboard player and accompanist that I have ever worked with, consequently prompting me to ask him to produce and record my latest album on his Pineapple label.

The result of Ian's talent and help, led me to appearing on ITV's 'Stars in Their Eyes' for which I will always be extremely grateful."

Christine Lee Jones - Club Land Award Winner

" I’ll spare each of us the embarrassment of saying what year we first worked together: he as a young fledgling organ player and me as an equally fledgling broadcaster, but it was a period when Organ Festivals attracted huge numbers of enthusiasts…a situation that has sadly declined over the years, bought about by the fragmentation of the Festival scene.  

On the plus side the increase in smaller and more intimate organ festivals has meant that Ian Griffin is in constant demand for them, not to mention his own solo concerts for Organ Clubs the length and breadth of the UK which finds him on average clocking up around 50,000 miles each year.

His unique programme always relies on members of the audience submitting requests for the second half of the evening, and he is rarely caught out. I know of only one other artist, namely Lenny Dee who is  sadly no longer with us, who 'tailored' his shows to his audiences.   Then of course Ian  enjoys extra engagements as one half of the original UK organ/keyboard duo KEYKLIX,  along with another Festival stalwart Richard Bower. If that isn’t enough to keep him busy then he’s in regular demand as an accompanist on the Cabaret and Nite club scene. 

 I’ve always maintained that if an artist gave Ian the ‘dots’ on the back of a cigarette packet, he’d produce, with his ever changing customised multi-keyboard rig, a musical accompaniment that will have the vocalist turning round expecting to find he’d been joined on stage by more musicians. Ian Griffin is the ultimate full backing group. Since those pioneering Festival days, many young players have ‘thrown the towel’ but my bet is unless he wins the Lottery, Ian will never turn his back on a section of the music industry that has been as good for him as it has for anyone who has had the pleasure of hearing him play."  

Alan Ashton
Journalist & Broadcaster

Ian Griffin has played for us at Crawley on two previous occasions, each time with Richard Bower as the duo Keyklix. We never had any doubts about his musicianship but hearing him both solo and accompanying Andy Oakley - an interesting but unpredictable task - made many of us realise just how good he really is.

www.crawleykeyboardclub.co.uk/cabaret.htm