Brian Griffin was born in Darien, Connecticut and took an early interest in playing drums in different styles.  He was awarded the National Louis Armstrong Jazz Award at Darien High School. He graduated from the University of Virginia, where he studied Jazz under trumpeter John D'earth(George Gruntz, Bruce Hornsby, Dave Matthews, Eddie Palmieri) and Drummer Robert Jospe as well as performed regularly in Charlottesville.

Brian then completed his Masters in Jazz Performance in 2001 at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with globally accomplished jazz musician John Riley(Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Big Band), and Bob Moses (Pat Metheny, Gary Burton). In the Summer of 2000, he attended the Banff International Jazz Festival, where he performed with Mark Feldman, Joe Lovano and Kenny Werner. In the summer of 2001 he taught at the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival, where he participated as visiting artist and faculty member, taught jazz to festival students and made several concert appearances with such jazz personalities as Dave Lalama (Woody Herman, Stan Getz), Chris Rosenberg (Ornette Coleman), and Cecil Bridgewater (Max Roach, Horace Silver).

In 2004, Brian began touring and recording with The Navigators, a country/rock band on Velour records. With the navigators he toured the country extensively and worked with such great producers as Bob Brockman (Christina Aguilera, Puff Daddy) and Graham Hawthorne (Paul Simon, David Byrne).

Starting in 2005, Brian began travelling regularly to Brazil to study Brazilian percussion with such world renowned samba artists as Junior Teixeira, Bernardo Aguiar, Zeca Macapart, Nelson Pestana, and Northeastern Brazilian music masters Quiño Santos and Durval Pereira.

Currently Brian has been touring with Jamie McLean (Dirty Dozen Brass Band). Since joining Jamie's band in June, 2007, he has performed festivals with The Flaming Lips, The Killers, Wilco, The Black Crowes, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and The Roots among many others.

When at home in New York City, Brian records for television commercials for music production houses Pulse Music, JSM and Sacred Noise. He also is on faculty as a drumset instructor at The Crestwood School of Music, Directed by Juilliard graduate and globally renown oboist Gines Cano.