Milton Man Gogh
A “jazz trio” that eschews the mantle and gives it some crushed up No-Doz tablets; Milton Man Gogh is the collaborative effort between Andrew Saragossi (Tenor Saxophone), Zac Sakrewski (Double Bass/Effects) and Benjamin Shannon (Drums & Percussion). The Brisbane based trio’s distinct style and approach to music making is aimed at bringing together the often far- spread constellations of music lovers; from the festival stage, to the cellar jazz club through to the living room metal show. With an energetic and unpredictable live show which saw them share the stage with KNOWER (USA) at the 2018 Brisbane International Jazz Festival, MMG have rapidly become one the Australian jazz-sphere’s must see acts.
Their most recent album “The Great Reset” (2021) released through eclectic Sydney label Art as Catharsis is the fourth and most mature offering from the trio. The albums serves as a multi-layered perspective and powerful manifestation of the band’s philosophy and sound; striking a balance between the precise and expressive, serious and ridiculous.
Milton Man Gogh were finalists in the cancelled 2020 B-Jazz International Jazz Competition as well as the 2020 & 2022 Queensland Music Awards. They were one of three artists nominated for Young Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2018 Australian Jazz Awards and their debut single “Fork (In a World of Soup)” was selected as a finalist in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition. It was also voted #75 on the 4ZZZ Hot 100; the only instrumental track to ever be on this list until 2019 where the title track from their sophomore EP "XXXX Bitter Irony" came in at #60.
"Milton Man Gogh excel at creating a diverse palate of emotions through frequent but deliberate changes in phrasing and playing dynamics. The sludge-ridden double-bass lines and aggressive, percussive insanity juxtapose almost too-perfectly with the many genuinely beautiful moments which catch the listener entirely off-guard, simultaneously becoming aware of the goosebumps running down their arm and the single tear welling in their eye."
– William France, Heavy Blog Is Heavy