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.

The soothing sounds of Prez

The Kansas City Sessions (Commodore)

I could ramble on passionately about this recording till the cows come home. But in the meantime, I’ll just add that the 1938 session with Prez, Buck Clayton, Eddie Durham, Freddie Green, Walter Page and Jo Jones is some of my all-time favourite music. The ensemble passages, counterpoint, solos, accompaniment, balance, swing, sound, feeling... incredible music. There’s the added bonus of having two takes of each piece and Prez plays plenty of clarinet too. In addition to singing Prez' solos, I had a blast singing along with Freddie Green’s vocals on “Them There Eyes” - something I did back-to-back with versions by Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday’s during my lessons with Connie Crothers.

NZ Jazz: Kim Paterson - Impending Journey

Kim Paterson: Impending Journey (Tap Records)

Kim Paterson (trpt/flugel), Jason Jones (ts) Kevin Field and Mark de Clive-Lowe (p) Greg Tuohey (g) Cameron Undy and Kevin Haines (b) Nicholas McBride (d) Miguel Fuentes (percussion) 1997

As a new stage of my life begins, this month I have been checking out the very aptly named Impending Journey. A veteran of the NZ scene, Kim Paterson is somewhat under represented on record. In fact, Impending Journey was Paterson's first album as a leader. And outside of his work with Space Case and a couple of tracks on Jason Jones' Subspace, I have heard very little of Paterson’s playing, making this album a very welcome addition to the collection. Am I surprised that I can't recall him getting mentioned during my time in school?

This listening series must be starting to sink in as I immediately picked when Mark de Clive-Lowe was on piano. It's his rhythmic feel that stands out – more percussive than Kevin Field. Also, I thought “Tariqat” sounded like a piece Mike Nock would write – turns out he's the co-author along with Paterson, but I can't really put my finger on what the giveaway was though, just a gut reaction.

Back in 2001, Paterson talked about his love for latin music during and interview on Radio NZ's “Musical Chairs," and the presence of a number of Latin pieces here made a change for me. It's definitely a gap in my listening, and considering that I enjoy percussion it's a little odd that I still haven't delved into it that much at all. I think the bravado that often pops up in some of the music has put me off (although there is not much of that here). But I need to make more of an effort and I will probably get there eventually (recommendations appreciated!), but for now it remains on the back burner.

Although they bring a different mood to the album, the standard tunes almost seem out of place. I'm not sure if it's due the nature of playing as a duo, but I for me, I would have liked to hear more space on “Old Folks.” Both Paterson and Kevin Haines play in a pretty busy manner. On Horace Silver's “Peace” the group is stripped down to the trio of Paterson (on flugel) Tuohey and Undy. The lack of percussion leaps out and the guitar brings it's own color and texture into the mix, providing plenty of contrast to the four numbers that preceded it. The track grew on me a bit, but I found it lacked the forward momentum of the my favourite playing on the album. On more than one occasion, I ended up focusing on Undy's economical playing. The trio returns on “How Insensitive” and features some bold playing from Paterson (who is pretty busy here too), but I still feel things get a bit bogged down.

Jason Jones makes a welcome appearance on four tracks, and my initial impression was that he plays stronger here than on his own release, Subspace (but I probably need to go back and give it another listen). He never overplays his hand, paces himself well and plays some nice bold lines. I particularly enjoyed his well constructed solo on the title tune that features alternating swing and latin sections.

Paterson plays with plenty of energy, has a nice melodic sense and there’s some fire too, without overdoing it - around the 2 min mark on “Lost and Found.” Or on “Tariqat,” which features a nice mellow approach on flugelhorn but he adds some zip when he moves into the upper register. The muted trumpet lines stood out on “Miguel” – I think it was the urgency to his time feel that did it (and in general, I liked his time feel throughout the album). I really enjoyed Kevin Field's comping behind the trumpet too (and his brief solo is perhaps the most harmonically varied of the soloists) and the alternating grooves on the piece “Miguel” brought the piece to life. Not surprisingly Miguel Fuentes got a bit of room to stretch out too [side note: while I felt the trio tracks interrupted the flow of the album, it would have been great to hear a track featuring Paterson and Fuentes as a duo]. “Vision” is full of spark, energy, swagger and ebb and flow. It comes with bit of a mid-60s Miles vibe and it stood out to me. Mark de Clive-Lowe's spacious approach to comping behind Paterson really hits the spot. He builds into the piece, creating a nice dialogue between piano and horn. The album wraps up with Paterson playing solo muted trumpet. It's his take on "Gujarati Arti" and the intimate performance makes for a nice coda.

I think all that remains for me to pick up in the Tap Records catalog is Mark de Clive-Lowe’s Vision, which features many of the same personnel. But as far as Paterson goes, I want to get the live recording from the late 60s with Bernie McGann and the more recent, The Duenede. 

The one year mark for this series is just around the corner so stay tuned for more as I try and keep it going. In the meantime, if you want to see Paterson in action, John Fenton uploaded a video from a gig from earlier in 2018. 

The soothing sounds of Connie Crothers and Hayden Chisholm

On select nights over the past couple of weeks, Hadyen Chisholm's Circe (Jazz Haus Musik) and Connie Crothers' Music from Everyday Life (New Artists) have been doing the late night rounds as I drift off to sleep. Both are albums I return to often, particularly when the mind needs calming.