Double Bill: Nock & Johnston + Cody & Greening – Wednesday, 17th of May 2023:
A duo of duos. A double bill, featuring two variations of the piano/horn duet, in a unique evening of experimentation, spontaneity, and surprise. Nock and Johnston will explore the music of Steve Lacy and others and Cody and Greening will explore the boundaries of composition and improvisation.
Mike Nock (piano) and Phillip Johnston (alto saxophone) play the music of Lacy, Nock and Johnston.
Chris Cody (piano) and James Greening (trombone) mix composition and improvisation.
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Mike Nock/Phillip Johnston Duo:
Mike Nock’s career has spanned the range of contemporary musical styles and he is widely recognised as an important voice in Australian modern music. Based in Sydney since 1986, he previously spent 25 years in the USA, working with many of the world’s top jazz artists.
His compositions include orchestral music, woodwind / percussion ensembles, electronic / choral works, etc., and have been recorded and performed by a range of jazz & non-jazz performers.
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 2014 he was awarded the Don Banks Music Award, the most valuable individual music award in Australia.
“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, Downbeat (USA)
Soprano/alto saxophonist Phillip Johnston tours internationally, having played in the last few years in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris, New York, and Buenos Aires among others.
A week after this performance he will travel to New York to perform at Brooklyn’s Barbès night club, record an episode of WNYC-FM ’s Sound Check, with John Schaefer, now in its 21st year, (first as broadcast radio in New York, now as a podcast on-demand) and to do the US launch of the paperback edition of his book on silent film music, Silent Films/Loud Music. His group The Greasy Chicken Orchestra will launch its first CD, I Cakewalked With A Zombie (Earshift), at Foundry616 on July 27.
Bill Shoemaker, in Point of Departure (USA), comments that “his alto approaches Paul Desmond’s idealized martini dryness”.
Johnston has been performing and recording soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy’s music for decades, beginning with his Black Saint CDs in the 90s, and his no-wave rock band in 1980-81. This is Mike’s and his first performance together.
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Chris Cody/James Greening Duo:
These two musicians play a mix of more structured compositions and free improvisations and revel in interacting with each other with humour, changing up the roles and taking the music to new and unexpected places. They’ve been playing together for over 25 years and have recorded several successful albums together including Oasis and Astrolabe.
Pianist and composer Chris Cody has performed extensively throughout the USA, Europe, Africa, and Australia while based in Paris for many years. He has released 12 CDs of his own music, played on many others, and also collaborated with jazz masters around the world including Roy Hargrove, Herb Geller, Rhoda Scott, Rick Margitza, Sunny Murray, Marcel Azzola, Jason Marsalis, and many more.
“A very inspired and remarkable pianist” – Jazz Hot, France
James Greening:
James is one of the most in-demand brass players in Australia, widely praised for his work recording and performing with seminal ensembles such as Ten Part Invention, Wanderlust, the catholics, the Umbrellas, and the Australian Art Orchestra. Recently, James Greening has featured on numerous recordings including those of Paul Grabowsky, Sandy Evans, Chris Cody, Stu Hunter, Andrew Robson, Jonathan Zwartz, Joseph Tawadros, and Mike Nock.
The World According to James, formed in 1992, saw James step forward as a bandleader and composer, presenting music with all the qualities of wit, creativity, and exuberance that have long been associated with his work as a soloist.
“Greening’s trombone has the delicious plumpness of a ripe mango. The sad bits and the funny bits become jumbled, and there can be no higher praise.“ (J.Shand SMH)
