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Contributor


Mike Nock

Composer, Jazz Composer, Performer

Website  
Biography Works 126 Recordings 10 Resources 4 Performances 6

Biography

Pianist, composer, band leader and jazz educator Mike Nock, came to Australia from New Zealand in the late 1950s where he quickly established himself as a musician in demand in Sydney and Melbourne jazz clubs and nightclubs and as a member of the highly regarded Three Out Trio. It would be difficult to find in either country a jazz musician who accumulated the depth of international experience he has since that time.

After his first recordings in Australia with the Three-Out Trio in 1960-61, he then went to England and worked in top London jazz establishments before taking up a scholarship to study at Berklee in the United States. He spent the following 25 years in the United States, working with a diverse group of legendary musicians including Dionne Warwick, Coleman Hawkins, Yusef Lateef etc., establishing his leadership credentials through many critically acclaimed recordings. It was here also that he formed the electronic fusion group The Fourth Way, which became widely known and influenced many American bands.

Widely recognised for his abilities, Mike’s honours include: the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to jazz (2003), a two year Australian Arts Council Fellowship (1999-2001), three USA National Endowment Awards for composition (1972, 1975, 1978 ), New Zealand Jazz Record of the Year (1987 and 1989), three Australian Critics Awards (1991, 1992 and 1993), Australian contemporary CD of the year for his BigSmallBand LIVE (2004), and the 1993 MO Award for Jazz Group of the Year and the Montsalvat Jazz Festival Roll of Honour (1995). In 2014 he was awarded the Don Banks Music Award, the most valuable individual music award in Australia. In 2009 he was inducted into the Bell Awards Australian Jazz Hall of Fame and in 2003 presented with the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM). In 1983 he hosted the TVNZ series “Nock On Jazz” and in 1993 was the subject of a TVNZ documentary, “Mike Nock – A Jazz Film”. From 1996 to 2001 he was music director of Naxos/Jazz, overseeing the production of more than 60 widely acclaimed jazz CDs from all corners of the world.

Recordings of his compositions have included leading Australian pianist Michael Kieran-Harvey playing the piano music of Mike Nock with ‘In the Time of Sakura’ (Move MO 3314) and ‘The Mothership Plays the Music of Mike Nock’ (Jazzgroove JGR 030) by Sydney’s Jazzgroove Orchestra. He has a large catalogue of critically acclaimed, internationally released recordings under his leadership and his music has been commissioned and performed by groups such as the Cleveland Chamber Symphony (USA), Australian Chamber Orchestra, New Zealand Piano Quartet, and Umo Jazz Orchestra (Finland) among many others.

His groups have made several tours of Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada, as well as performing widely throughout Australasia. He has given many lectures and seminars at universities and conservatoriums worldwide, including Cleveland University (USA), the Sibelius Institute (Finland), Bruckner Conservatorium (Austria), and since 1986 has taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Jazz Studies Dept. In 2010 a biography of Mike’s life and career was published: Serious Fun: The Life and Music of Mike Nock. (Norman Meehan, Victoria University Press). “Nock’s ringing iconoclasm pervades all his music, taps a deep well of melody that transcends jazz and informs and ignites his every encounter.” – Down Beat (USA)

For me composition is about painting with sound and I like to explore all the possibilities this presents.

Composed (126)

4SL

for piano and drum kit

A Beautiful Friendship

for jazz trio, 4m

A Tree has Its Heart in Its Roots

for jazz trio

Acceptance

for piano and saxophone, 12m 18s

After Satie

for jazz quintet

Afterbach

for piano, 2m

All Most Blues

for piano and drum kit

Amerdoux

for piano, 3m

An Accumulation of Subtleties

for jazz trio, 7m 4s

Aotearoa

for jazz piano and chamber orchestra, 40m

Apotheosis

for jazz trio

Beautiful Stranger

for jazz trio, 7m 29s

Beautiful Your Eyes

for piano, 2m

Blues

for piano, 4m 30s

Blues for...

for jazz orchestra

By Sea

for piano and drum kit

Cartwheels

for piano, 2m 45s

Catalytic Converter

for jazz trio and piano trio

Celebration

for piano, 4m

Chimera

for string quartet and solo jazz piano, 6m

Choices

for piano and drums, 6m

Choices

for ten piece jazz ensemble

Choose the Beauty Path

for jazz orchestra, 9m 47s

Closet in the Skeleton

for piano

Cloudless Blue

for piano, 3m 20s

Colours

for jazz quintet

Comfort Queen

for ten piece jazz ensemble

Courting the Edge of Angst and Ecstasy

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 9m

Current Reality

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 9m

Cyboreal

for piano, 2m 20s

Cytokinesis

for solo guitar, 9m 30s

Dance of the Global Village

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 7m

Danny Boy

for piano and drums

Dialogues, Meditations and Reflections

for piano quartet, 20m

Don Sergio's Dream

for piano, 2m 10s

Doors

for jazz orchestra, 7m 34s

Earthbound

for jazz orchestra, 9m 1s

El Testamen De Amelia

for jazz trio and piano trio

Elegy (Parts I & II)

for ten piece jazz ensemble

Elsewhen

for jazz trio, 6m 50s

Embracing You

for piano, 4m 30s

Environments II

for chamber orchestra, 30m

Ephemeron

for ten piece jazz ensemble

Ephigenesis and Saubade

for jazz quartet, 11m

Ever Distant

for piano, 1m 20s

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven

for jazz orchestra, 7m 10s

Fictional Realities

for piano trio, 10m

Floating Cloud, Flowing Water

for ten piece jazz ensemble

Free Radicals

for jazz trio and piano trio

Gestures

for piano, 1m 20s

Giss

for piano, 1m 10s

Going for Baroque

for piano, 1m 30s

Great Wall - Many Ancestors

for piano and drums, 8m

Green Cycle

for piano, 2m 15s

Hadrian's Wall

for jazz orchestra, 5m 38s

Harriet Street

for piano and drums, 6m

Hear and Know

for jazz quintet

If Truth Be Known

for jazz quintet

In the time of Sakura

for piano, 3m 30s

Indifference

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 10m

Inertial Confinement System(ics)

for large chamber ensemble, 20m

Information Horizon

for jazz trio and piano trio

Isospin

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 10m

Joyous Awakening

for jazz trio, 6m 7s

Kindred

for piano and drum kit

Knee Deep in Thin Air

for piano and synthesizer (one performer) with dancers, 1h 15m

Komodo Dragon

for jazz quintet

Land of the Never-Never

for piano, 3m

Le Primitif

for piano and drum kit

Legacy

for jazz quintet

Like Spring

for jazz quartet, 6m

Makeru Ga Kachi

for jazz trio, 5m 31s

Mike Battles The Hydra

for piano and drum kit

Moamba

for bassoon and piano, 5m

Morning Reverie

for solo piano

Mossaflo

for piano and drums, 3m

Motif with Diverse Variations

for woodwind quintet, 6m

Musica Solar

for jazz trio and piano trio

Nata Lagal

for jazz orchestra, 9m 25s

Nebulae

for trombone, percussion, flute, english horn and piano, 10m

Nu Upline

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 7m

One For Yawl

for jazz quintet

Open Door

for piano and drums, 4m

Open the Window (and let in the moon)

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 7m

Parting the Veil

for piano, 3m

Phaedra's Lullaby

for piano and drums, 7m

Pogo

for solo piano

Presence

for piano, 4m 30s

Raff Riff (big band version)

for big band

Raff Riff (jazz toccatta)

for piano, 3m

Red Descending

for piano

Ringstone Round

for piano, 2m 40s

Rite of Passage

for jazz trio, 5m 52s

Ruminations I, II, III, IV, V

for piano, 6m

Satori No Mado

for piano and drum kit

Serenity

for piano, 2m

Shifting Goalposts

for ten musicians, 30m

Sho's Cradle Song

for piano, 1m 20s

Sketches

for bassoon, orchestra and jazz trio

Sleepwalking

for piano and drum kit

Slow News Day

for jazz quintet

Slum Goddess

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 8m

Solstice

for piano and drum kit

Song for the Children

for piano, 7m

Southern Suite

for piano (four hands), 20m

Spring

for piano and drum kit

Spring Rain

for piano, 2m 10s

Steps

for string quartet with jazz group, plus electronic tape, 15m

Strata

for jazz trio, 8m 50s

Stray

for ten piece jazz ensemble

Sunrise

for piano, 2m

The Long Fall from Splendour to Splendour

for piano and synthesizer (one player) with dancers, 1h 30m

The Old Times

for piano and drum kit

The Promise

for piano, 1m 10s

The Sibylline Fragrance

for jazz quintet

To Anne

for piano, 3m 40s

To Market

for choir, 6m

Transformations I, II, III

for string orchestra with jazz quintet, 25m

Variations for bassoon and piano

for bassoon and piano, 8m

Vicissitudes

for piano trio and jazz trio

Waltz '86

for string quartet, piano and guitar, 7m

We are a Rainbow

for choir, 8m

Yin Yang

for piano and drums

Your Smile

for piano, drums and bass, 6m 58s

Zalktis

for ten piece jazz ensemble, 10m

Zeus' Dream

for piano and drum kit

Recordings (10)

Duologue | Mike Nock and Dave Liebman in concert - CD

Audio/visual

In the time of sakura: the piano music of Mike Nock - CD

Audio/visual

Mike Nock and Frank Gibson: Open Door - CD

Audio/visual

Mike Nock and Laurenz Pike: Kindred - CD

Audio/visual

Mike Nock Trio and NZTrio | Vicissitudes - CD

Audio/visual

Mike Nock Trio and NZTrio | Vicissitudes - downloadable MP3 ALBUM

Audio/visual

Mike Nock Trio Plus: Hear and Know - CD

Audio/visual

Mike Nock | Sketches - CD

Audio/visual

Mike Nock/Laurenz Pike: The Old Times - VIDEO

Media on demand

Trans Tasman: A Journey Into New Zealand Jazz - CD

Audio/visual

Resources (4)

Mike Nock discusses Vicissitudes - INTERVIEW

Interview

Music in New Zealand | Autumn 1991, No. 12 - JOURNAL

Commentary or analysis

Serious Fun: The Life and Music of Mike Nock - BOOK

Biography

Virtuosi, A film by Sue Healey - DVD

Documentary

Performances (6)

Performed by Mike Nock Trio. Recorded by RNZ Concert

Performed by Mike Nock (piano). Recorded by RNZ Concert.

Performed by Colin Hemmingsen (sax), Mike Nock (piano), Paul Dyne (bass), Roger Sellers (drums). Recorded by RNZ Concert.

Performed by Mike Nock (piano). Recorded by RNZ Concert.

Performed by Colin Hemmingsen (soprano sax), Paul Dyne (bass), Roger Sellers (drums), Mike Nock (piano). Recorded by RNZ Concert.

Performed by Mike Nock (piano). Recorded by RNZ Concert.