About Mike

New Zealand born pianist/composer Mike Nock is one of the acknowledged masters of jazz in Australasia. His reputation rests partly on his imposing international experience which includes ...

• twenty-five years working in the USA with many of the world's top jazz musicians such as: Coleman Hawkins, Yusef Lateef, Dionne Warwick, Michael Brecker, etc...
• a large catalogue of critically acclaimed, internationally released recordings
• his role as leader of the 1970's seminal jazz-rock group The Fourth Way
• a substantial body of original compositions in print and on recordings

"Nock's ringing iconoclasm pervades all his music, taps a deep well of melody that transcends jazz and informs and ignites his every encounter."
   - Fred Bouchard, Down Beat (USA)

Touring

Since returning to Australia, his groups have conducted extensive tours of Europe, Asia, USA, and Canada, as well as touring regularly throughout Australia & New Zealand.

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Recognition

Mike Nock returned to Australia in 1985 after spending 25 years in the USA where he established an international reputation through his many tours and large catalogue of recordings. Although primarily known as a jazz pianist/composer his music has been commissioned and performed by such as the Cleveland Chamber Orchetra ( USA ), The New Zealand Piano Quartet, Dunedin Civic Orchestra ( NZ ), UMO Jazz Orchestra ( Finland ),The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Synergy, Ensemble 24 and Melbourne Windpower among many others. In 2003 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit ONZM and in 1999 was the recipient of a two year Australian Arts Council Fellowship. From 1996 to 2001 he was music director for Naxos/Jazz , hosted his own TV series "Nock On Jazz" in 1983 and in 1993 was the subject of a TVNZ documentary widely shown in Australasia. ( see below )

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"A Jazz Film"

This atmospheric and beautifully edited film flows between Nock's New Zealand childhood, his return home, his career in New York and his present life in Sydney.

Nock knows the strength of conviction and passion it takes to pursue a jazz career here or in New York. However, he is an easy and humorous travel companion for the viewer as the program cuts back and forth between New York, Australia and New Zealand with his music featured as an expressive soundtrack in both solo settings and with his young Sydney-based band.

Mike Nock - "A Jazz Film" (50 mins)
By Geoffrey Cawthorn
...available from Messenger Films

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