“Nock made the music more playful, dense, dramatic and unpredictable. When Nock turned to synthesiser – an instrument to which he, too, brings a unique approach, but very seldom plays – the combination with the guitar made the whole sound world suddenly more capricious and marvellously intangible. It was disorienting in the best sense, and therefore both magical and exhilarating”. – John Shand, The Sydney Morning Herald, December 14, 2014

At 82, Sydney-based pianist/composer Mike Nock is simply a legend of Australasian jazz, with an international profile based on a 25-year career in the U.S.A., and recordings with artists such as Michael Brecker, on international labels such as ECM. The recipient of the 2009 ‘Bell’ Australian Jazz Awards ‘Hall of Fame’ award, he is not one to rest on his laurels.

One example is this bass-less and drummer-less project with two acclaimed Melbourne musicians: tenor saxophonist Julien Wilson and guitarist Steve Magnusson. With Nock on piano and keyboards, they produced memorable concerts of spontaneous and creative music making as part of the 2013 Wangaratta Festival, and earned critical acclaim for their 2014 Sydney concert. They have also recorded for ABC Jazz.