COVID-19 Lockdown: Day 16

I’m making the most of waking up early by getting stuck into work straight away and last week I found it nice having a bit of kick musically to get me going (Root 70 fit the bill). The last few work mornings I’ve been listening to the latest offering from Mike Nock – This World - a co-led group with drummer Hamish Stuart, saxophonist Julien Wilson and bassist Jonathan Zwartz. 

While it didn’t grab me right from beat one, it is growing on me. But I think it’s when I’ve been listening to it more than anything. Moody, dark, sombre - but there’s also a warmth too....relevant to the current scene, but it’s not exactly “caffeine music” (an exception is the gospel-shuffle “Riverside”). 

It can be quite chilled out (“Home”) and at this time, that’s not a bad thing at all. But there seems to be something holding back pieces that you’d expect to ramp up. Like on “The Dirge”....I kept waiting to hear this take off with some straight up swing. But maybe it’s a hangover from listening to the energy of Root 70 lately. Wilson uses the electronics sparingly. Necessary... no, but he uses them tastefully, and on “Any Heart” they add a nice texture and colour. The opening of “We Shall Rise Again” really shows the influence Mike has had on Norman Meehan’s playing.

I feel I’m going to dig This World more once some semblance of normality returns and fancy listening something to mellow out with – sunny afternoon or late at night might be better than early morning.

COVID-19 Lockdown: Day 7

Last the couple of mornings have seen early starts, and this time round I had Kim Paterson’s The Duende giving me a hand (along with a cuppa oolong). And the opening track, Coltrane’s “5^th House” was a great wake up call. I enjoy hearing Mike Nock and Kim Paterson together, and it made wonder why that hasn’t been a more regular occurrence. A duo album or something with a lot of percussion would be interesting....but I would happily settle for a regular ol’ quartet outing.

Later in the day it was Root 70’s Fahvergnugen to keep me company. I’m a fan of the alto saxophone/trombone front line. We hear a lot of tenor/trumpet combos but it makes a nice change.

The album title translates to something along the lines of “The pleasure of driving”, but for today I’ll pretend it’s the “pleasure of not driving” - it’s made a nice change not having to hit the road each day.

NZ Jazz: Thanks Mike!

Okay, so I'm wrapping up this series. It seemed fitting to end with Mike Nock as the series kicked off  with his then newly released Vicissitudes back in September, 2017. I decided to change things up a bit. Instead of focusing on a single album, this month I listened to all of Mike's recordings in my collection. There was no rhyme or reason, I just grabbed a the next disc on the pile. I started with Changing Seasons (trio with Brett Hirst and Toby Hall) - the groove felt right to kick off the month - and ended with Kindred (duo with Laurence Pike) - a recording with which I have mellowed out to many times since picking it up a few years ago. In between everything else got a spin or two. In comparison to some artists, Mike's discography is a manageable size (with plenty of variety too), although there are still plenty of holes I need to plug - Yusef Lateef's 1984 is the only thing I have with Mike as a sideman. I want to call particular attention to the duo works with the likes of Frank Gibson Jr., Marty Ehrlich, David Liebman, Roger Manins, and Laurence Pike - wonderful recordings.

As I mentioned last month, I'm pulling the plug on this series. I may return in the future (I still have a stack of albums waiting for me) - we'll see. Off the top of my head, some albums from the series that stood out included Jim Langabeer's Secret Islands, the two albums from Unwind - Unwind, and Orange (there's another on the way that I look forward to hearing), Mike Nock's Beginning and End of Knowing, Lucien Johnson's West of the Sun, and, more for the historical interest than the music, Jazz Concert 1950. Before I sign off the series, I just want to say "Thanks Mike!"

NZ Jazz: Mike Nock - Beginning and End of Knowing

Mike Nock: Beginning and End of Knowing (Fourth Way Records)

Nock (piano) Laurence Pike (drums/sampler) 2015

I started this series last September with Nock's Vicissitudes, so it seems rather appropriate to feature another from Mike one year on....plus it was his birthday a couple of days ago. While I did give Beginning and End of Knowing a listen when I first picked it up last year, it is well overdue for some quality time (in fact, Vicissitudes bumped it from opening the series, solely because it was his most recent album). As with last months selection, we have another slightly ominous title – yet fitting for this stage in my life. A follow-up to the duo's 2012 recording, Kindred, Beginning and End of Knowing features 12 wonderfully recorded free improvisations, none of which extend beyond six minutes, keeping things nice and concise. The album art and booklet nods in the direction of ECM and, as the duo recorded the album in Norway at the same studio and piano as on Ondas, it seems appropriate (and once again makes me wonder why Ondas was his sole outing for ECM).

Mike's playing here (or anywhere really) is not about hip licks and chops, but in this case, more focussed on texture and colour. Even on pieces in which single-line playing is featured those lines still seem to serve as mean of creating different textures and colors. Pike doesn't play much in the way of “ding ding ga ding”/“spang spang ah lang” (or the phonetic swing of your choosing), but he still generates a sense of forward motion and while the groove may reveal itself in an unexpected way, it's there. His playing is pretty understated but it really suits the feeling of the album. And across the album there is a nice balance between piano and drums. 

The title track sets the tone of album superbly. At times the piano is dramatic (without being overly so) while the drums remain constantly on the move. The bass drum popped out at me on “Cloudless”, while the sense of space and openness in Mike's voicings and approach contain quality that I can't really describe - “realization” comes to mind. “Akerslva” seems dark a first but a playfulness emerges and a hint of the blues is present throughout the tinkles and splashes. “1000 Colours” features more line playing by Nock than on the preceding tracks. Space is aptly filled by Pike, who plays with a subtle groove that really works. You could be mistaken in thinking that the opening of “The Mirror” is composed, such is the clarity. That clarity remains as a left hand ostinato takes hold and directs the piece. Mike's playing is melodic with a tenderness at times. “Hydrangea” features a Pike groove of relaxed propulsion while rich piano chords sit on top, and as the piece progress the piano and percussion become increasingly interlocked. The electronics are more obvious on “Glittering Age” than on some of the other tracks but they slot in seamlessly nevertheless. The piano repeats, varies and develops phrases throughout and Pike's use of the samples at the end of Mike's lines is very effective. Again, Pike's groove is unexpected yet highly effective (and the electronics fit into that groove well too) - he's a creative player. “Zerospeak” is more up-tempo than most of the album with its single line piano runs over the top of rumbling toms. Mike's lines had me thinking of some of his late 70s works such as “Casablanca” & “Break Time” or even later on with “Ozboppin'” (and I did take those tracks for a spin too), but here the feel is a bit different.. perhaps more introspective and rhythmically softer. Mike's single line melody over the drums and samples on “Ocean Back to Sky” (particularly during the opening of the piece) is a lesson in economy. He extracts a lot from a little and that is something that appeals to me more and more. The stacatto percussion and the wide spread between the two hands at the piano on “Prospero” grabbed my attention. It brings a welcome textural addition to the album. “Southerly” features some more contrasts – the fluttering cymbals paired with bass drum pulses, with strong, slow moving chordal melodies over the faster moving drums. I dig the way Mike's chordal phrases early on have a breathing quality to them. The album rounds out with “In Closing,” another improvisation with composition-like clarity.

While overall the album is quite introspective, there is still plenty of variety in terms of feel, mood and colour. There is a meditative quality that draws me in (and in that sense it reminded my of Evan Parker's As the Wind and the work of Hayden Chisholm). This could be the ideal music to calm the mind during the busy time in which we live. The album's strength lies in the collective approach to the duo - very much a case of “everybody solos and nobody solos.” The dialogue between the two is warm, unhurried, not afraid of space, and projects clarity and an openness (the only word I could think of) that really hits the spot. Beginning and End of Knowing served as the perfect welcome home. Tu meke!

Happy Birthday Mike Nock

This was a nice wee find. Happy birthday and thanks for all the music!

Music for Commuting: Lacy, Garrett, Nock, The Melody Four

This week's drive(s) featured a nice bit of variety. I hadn't listened to Kenny Garrett's Triology in years, but as I was boxing up my CDs for the move, I decided to keep this one out and it has been nice to revisit it. The two Lacy albums, Stamps and Wordless, didn't get packed as they were on my list for a listen. I'm particularly interested in the latter as I think it's the earliest recording of the Tao suite (at least the earliest I have). I'd given each bit of a cursory blast when I picked them up but they deserve more airtime. Mike Nock's Beginning and End of Knowing is still hitting the spot and I've enjoy kicking off the morning with a smile on my face courtesy of The Melody Four - fun stuff.

Music for Commuting: Mike Nock Duos with Pike and Liebman

Accompanying the drive today: Beginning and End of Knowing and Duologue. I'll write more on the former later this month. And eventually I'll probably get around to writing something on the Liebman disc too. Both are highly recommended.

NZ Music Month: The 3-Out – Move

The 3-Out: Move 

Mike Nock (p) Freddy Logan (b) Chris Karan (d)

Years before I heard Move, a friend (hi John!) played me a single track (possibly from a radio broadcast) blindfold test style. It was the 3-Out, and I picked Mike as the pianist. I'll put that down to an educated guess. I don't know if there are qualities on this recording that I recognize in Nock's present-day work. Perhaps I hear similarities in the energy and time feel... perhaps. The simple fact that I know it's Mike Nock makes it a bit tricky and easy to suggest things that are not really there. But something clued me in during that first listen.

Does his music conjure up images or feelings of New Zealand? Not so on Move, but on later recordings I do get that feeling. But again, the power of suggestion is at play (“Land of the Long White Cloud” from Ondas for example). Knowing he's a Kiwi leads me to making connections between his music and my own feelings/memories/impressions of New Zealand – whether it be landscapes, space, the light or the weather etc. If these connections exist only in my mind are they real? What I hear as reflecting New Zealand could easily be heard as something entirely differently by someone else (including fellow New Zealanders).

I don't get that feeling from other overseas based players such as Alan Broadbent or Matt Penman – so why do I get it with Mike? (sometimes I make that connection with Hayden Chisholm's music too) Maybe it's because Nock was the first jazz musician from New Zealand with whom I was aware, I latched onto that and projected it onto his music.

How about local jazz players invoking a New Zealand quality? The textual component of much of Norman Meehan's recent work helps, but you could debate how “jazzy” some of those recordings are. Jim Langabeer maybe (again with the power of suggestion re: song titles). And then there's the use of Taonga puoro. From the little I have heard of Jonathan Crayford's trio albums (they're on the list more a closer listen), they bring to mind some New Zealandness. But can it be NZ Jazz when two-thirds of the groups aren't Kiwis? I know that some entires for Jazz Album of the Year have been not seriously considered because they were recorded overseas with only one Kiwi. Thankfully Jonathan Crayford's win in 2017 for East West Moon seems to have put an end to that.

What is New Zealand Jazz? Does it invoke a particular feeling or imagery? Is it all just in my head? Is it even a thing? I lean towards no, and what I've heard from others on the subject, this is likely the consensus view at the moment - New Zealand Jazz isn't a thing, but jazz from New Zealand is. Perhaps, on some level, that's what this listening project is really about. 

Move might sound pretty tame these days, but it pays to put things in context. From all reports this trio was at the fore of Australasian jazz. I stumbled on a couple of pretty interesting articles discussing that period of jazz in Australia, particularly the El Rocco – here and here. 

I haven’t heard (m)any recordings from around this time to make comparisons. With the ease of recordings these days (not always a good thing!) sometimes you forget that once upon a time, musicians had to have someone willing to invest in them. That resulted in a lot of music not getting recorded. There is an interview with Mike where he talks about playing in saxophonist Bob Gillet’s band which was incorporating works by Kenneth Patchen - that’s something I’d like to hear! [Side note: Gillet, an American, was an important force on the jazz scenes in both NZ and Australia but I’m yet to hear a recording of him - is anything available?]

Anyway, it's great that the two albums from the trio have been reissued. Also reissued around the same time was Judy Bailey's 1964 trio album – lets hope for more. With these being Nock's first recordings of note, it's definitely one for Mike Nock fans or those interested in jazz in New Zealand and/or Australia in the late 50 and early 60s.

Well, this post took a somewhat unexpected turn. Thanks for hanging in there.

NZ Music Month: The Three Out Trio - Hot and Swinging

The 3-Out were featured in the March 16, 1962 issue of the NZ Listener. I remember hearing Mike mention that this was the group everyone asked him about. I put it down to the records being scarce (and expensive). Since then, both Move and Sittin’ In have been reissued and I wonder if the Three Out questions have subsided? Anyone keen to try and track down the six shows they recorded for NZBS?

Click on the image to view the full article. More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Mike Nock - Pacific Way feature, 1993

Recently I’ve have been listening to a couple of Mike Nock albums - Vicissitudes from 2016 (which I picked up while I was back in New Zealand) and Climbing from 1979. Climbing was recorded during a fertile time for Nock - In, Out and Around (1978), Talisman (1979), Ondas (1981), although I don’t rate it as highly as those… plus there’s Magic Mansions and Succubus from which I’ve only heard the odd track or two on youtube - all very different albums. But variety is something I associate with Mike. More recently there’s the 2014 Suite SIMA (octet), Two-Out (duo playing standards) and Beginning and End of Knowing (duo playing free improvisations) from 2015, and now the trio plus string trio of Vicissitudes (that I wrote about earlier this month).

Those of you who took a trip on Air New Zealand during November 1993 may have stumbled upon this article as you perused the airline’s Pacific Way magazine. More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

NZ Jazz: Mike Nock - Vicissitudes

Today kicks off a series of posts that will focus on jazz by New Zealand artists. There were a few motivating factors behind the series. I’ve enjoyed putting together the NZ Music Month posts over the last couple of years and wanted to build on them; reading (and re-reading) Jazz Aotearoa and Norman Meehan’s New Zealand Jazz Life; picking up a handful of albums when I was back home earlier in the year; and probably a touch of homesickness too. But perhaps the main driver was simply getting more familiar with the music and artists from back home.

It’s amazing how little emphasis was placed on jazz from NZ during my years at music school. It was rare to talk about NZ artists and records, and I only recall playing one composition by a Kiwi in three years of combo classes (there were some big band charts but no real emphasis there either).

Although I attended a lot of live music, I didn't buy many NZ albums …. and oddly, some that I did went missing along the way - C.L. Bob, Syzygy, Mark de Clive Lowe among others that I’m slowly re-acquiring. 15 years ago there was little interaction/collaboration between the scenes in various cities and I wasn’t very aware of what the NZ scene was beyond Wellington. It was rare to have musicians from Auckland playing in Wellington (and even rarer to hear musicians come up from the South Island). Thankfully, due to the work of the Creative Jazz Club in Auckland, and now the newly formed Wellington Jazz Cooperative, and OrangeStudios in Christchurch, it seems like things are changing.

I thought it was appropriate to start with something recent by the first jazz musician from New Zealand I was aware of - Mike Nock.

Mike Nock: Vicissitudes (Rattle Records)

I like the variety that comes with Mike Nock. He keeps the listener on their toes (ears?), as you never know what the next album will bring. This was very much the case with Vicissitudes - the 2016 album that pairs the Mike Nock trio [Nock (p/e.piano/synth) Brett Hirst (b) James Waples (d)] with the NZTrio [Justine Cormack (violin) Ashley Brown (cello) Sarah Watkins (piano)].

Four fairly brief collective improvisations open the album and I found myself starting the album over a number of times just to focus on those pieces. They have an improvised chamber music quality and are my favourites of the album (even if sometimes they seem a little unfinished). It gives the album a curious opening, and by default, they serve as a multi-part introduction to the six-part “Vicissitudes.”

I had to look up the definition of the title - a change in circumstances or alternation between opposite or contrasting things. Given that the work has origins in providing some solace to post-earthquake Christchurch, and it features the paring of jazz trio and classical trio, and improvised and composed music, it’s an appropriate choice.

Possibly due to the focus on composition and/or the addition of the string trio, I find the suite lacks some of the rhythmic vigour that I like in Mike’s music. My initial thought was that a “carefulness” dominated the playing, but now I’m more inclined to get a warmth and soft feeling coming through the piece. Although, there are still times when I catch myself waiting for things to take off and I have to remind myself it’s just not that type of work. The uplifting quality never smacks you in the face, but simmers just below the surface and I fell that makes things more interesting.

The use electric piano has yet to win me over. However, I find that the synth works pretty well, so I think it’s the tone of the electric piano rather than an aversion to the instrument itself….there’s something muted and soft that seems to disagree with me.

The album ends on a solo rendition of “El Testamen De Amelia” (which Nock recorded back in 1999 on The Waiting Game.. a fine duo record with Marty Ehrlich). And even though this track was recorded at an earlier session, it fits seamlessly into the flow of things and nicely rounds out the album. Vicissitudes, may not have totally hit the spot for me, but it has provided me with some fresh listening this past month, and that's always a positive.

Lambic Jazz Vol.7

No class last week, but there was tonight so I'm back for the Wednesday night post-class hang.

A couple of days ago two discs arrived via CD Baby. On Monday and Tuesday I listened to Virgo Dzurinko (p) & Ryan Messina (trpt) Undertow (New Artists) and tonight Carol Liebowitz (p) & Nick Lyons (as) First Set (Line Art Records) is getting it's first spin. Nick was the first person Connie Crothers introduced me to when I came to NYC to study with her and a couple of days later I met Carol at a session with Nick (at which they played duo). Over the years it's been great to hear them play together and now a moment of that relationship (in concert during 2012) has now been captured.

I've heard Carol and Nick improvise - freely and on standard forms -  many, many times and there are always surprises. The bonus here is that they play two lines written by Connie ("Carol's Dream" and "Roy's Joy"). Of interest to me is the final track - "Another Time." Even though it was recorded five years earlier (2007) and the energy is a bit different (studio vs live perhaps?) it doesn't distract from the flow of the album. This was recorded before I had met Carol and Nick (although I did have a couple of Carol's albums) and I'm curious to see if I pick up on anything I hadn't noticed before. Duos are a favorite format of mine so I expect these two albums will be getting plenty more airtime. Tonight's music was accompanied by De Troch Oude Gueuze.

I'm looking forward to hearing them play (Virg & Ryan too) as part of the Connie Crothers celebration concert on November 13th. If you're in the NYC area get on down to Roulette and check it out. The full line-up is here.

Yesterday Norman Meehan's Serious Fun: The life and music of Mike Nock came off the shelf and I started re-reading it this afternoon. This will be the third (I think) time reading it in full, although I do read a few pages or a chapter on a semi-regular basis. Norman has another book due out in December - New Zealand Jazz Life (Victoria University Press). I'm looking forward to it.

Now I'm going to keep an eye on the first few hours of the first test between Australia and South Africa (looks like I've already missed a bunch of the action!) as game 7 in the World Series goes right down to the wire.

Afternoon listening: Mike Nock Piano Solos

Mike Nock's 1978 album Piano Solos (Timeless) has been keeping me company this afternoon. I've been listening to this one on a fairly regular basis since I picked it up at the start of the year (or was it the end of last year?). There are some reflective moments, but it general this album has a dynamic, up-beat feel with the eight tunes from Nock and Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance" providing plenty of variety. Well worth checking out.

Saturday Afternoon Listening

These three albums keep my wife and I company as we attempted to get some work done this afternoon. All-in-all they made for a nice mix.

Marilyn Crispell - Storyteller (ECM)
I've listened to this album a few times this week. The trio (with Mark Helias (b) Paul Motian (d)) have very unified sound. It may seem mellow and sleepy but there is a nice energy that underpins the album (and occasionally bursting through). I particularly like Motian and Crispell combination.

Miles Davis - In A Silent Way (Columbia)
I had been a while since I had given this a spin. I can't really work out why but it worked surprisingly well bridging the first and third albums here.

New York Jazz Collective - Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven (Naxos)
The second album from this sextet has some very nice writing for three horns (trumpet, trombone, sax/clarinet) and rhythm section. By the time this one over, my attention for school work had begun to falter (hence this blog post).