Jazz Chanteuse Kimba Griffith is lauded for her gift of drawing out the intricacies of a song’s deeper story; this project has spanned 5 years and featured at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, The Melbourne Recital Centre, and The Melbourne Cabaret Festival. This final iteration is a release of an EP of the project’s highlights; the darkly sensitive rendering of iconic songs from the alternative rock and grunge era of the 1990's, backed by some of Australia's most celebrated improvisational jazz musicians.

The Songs That Saved Your Life Project is the shadow side of Kimba's gift for captivating storytelling through the lyric and melody of a tune. The chrysalis for this lyrical facility came from far outside the jazz canon during Kimba's pent-up teenage years in small-town Canberra. This collection of seminal tunes is gathered from artists including The Smiths, Nirvana, The Violent Femmes, and includes original works by Melbourne jazz guitarist and composer Ryan Griffith.

This repertoire reflects the singular experience of growing up as New Wave gave way to Grunge and Indie, and Kimba offers a theatrical rendering of the music that pulsates with themes of escape and an attraction to the shadow sides of art, music and relationships.

Joining Kimba to explore these iconic indie rock tunes through the lens of jazz are some of Australia's most celebrated improvising musicians (Gideon Brazil, sax; Niko Schauble, drums; Ryan Griffith, guitar, Tamara Murphy, bass).

The result is a thrilling collection of sensitive and clear-voiced vocals backed by the wild meandering power of jazz improvisation, spoken words and fragments of nostalgia with the verve and freedom of original music.