Since his first recordings with the Three-out Trio (1960-61), Pianist/composer Mike Nock has remained at the forefront of Australasian Jazz, continuing to attract critical acclaim and delight audiences worldwide. His extensive background in a variety of genres with many of the world’s top musicians give his live performances a rarely heard breadth and depth a scant few can equal. Returning to Australia in 1985 after 25 years in the USA, Mike is now recognised as one of the true greats of Australian Jazz and The ‘Friends of the Mechanic’s Institute’ are proud to present Mike Nock in concert with Tim Firth and Jonathan Zwartz.

Date: Sunday, August 11th
Venue: The Mechanics Institute, Lawson

Doors Open: 7:00pm
Show Starts: 8:00pm

Tickets: $45
*Bar open & food available to purchase on the afternoon

Mike Nock:

Mike Nock’s career has spanned a broad 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. Attracting many awards and honours over his lengthy career in 2014 he was awarded the Don Banks Music Award, the most valuable individual music award in Australia. 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 2010 a biography of Mike’s life and career was published: Serious Fun: The Life and Music of Mike Nock

“As music director of Naxos Jazz from 1996 to 2002 he oversaw the production of more than 60 internationally released CDs.”

• Norman Meehan, Victoria University Press

“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)

Jonathan Zwartz:

Apart from being known as one of the major players on the Australian jazz landscape, having played and toured nationally with Pharoah Sanders, Branford Marsalis, Lionel Loueke, Kurt Elling, Mark Murphy, Larry Goldings, Johnny Griffin, Terri-Lynn Carrington, Mike Nock, Renee Geyer, Tim Rogers and Katie Noonan, double bassist Jonathan Zwartz is also a composer, arranger and songwriter. He has toured internationally with James Morrison and Don Burrows, Bernie McGann, Mike Nock, Amelia Zirin Brown and Emma Pask, and is undertaking a tour of Spain with Jade MacRae in August 2019. His debut Album of original compositions ‘The Sea’ was released in 2009 and won two Bell awards. His follow up CD entitled ‘The Remembering and Forgetting of the Air’, won best jazz album in the Australian Recording Industry (AIR) awards. His third Album ‘Animarum’ was released to critical acclaim in Feb 2018 and won the ARIA award that year for best jazz album. It has also been nominated for an AIR Award in 2019. Jonathan has a Masters Degree in Music from the Australian National University, an Associate Diploma in Jazz Studies from the NSW Conservatorium and also completed a diploma in screen composition at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in 2012. He undertook an Australia Council research Grant in 2014 to study composition and orchestration with Nigel Westlake and Christopher Gordon. He co-produced a ten part series on Australian jazz for ABC TV entitled ‘The Pulse’, which has been rescreened many times since the series’ release in 2002. Jonathan has composed Music for the documentary ‘To Spring From The Hand’ (2014) ‘Ka-Ching, a Pokies Nation’ (ABC, 2016), Madhattan, (2016), The Scribe (2017) Backtrack Boys (2018) and a number of short films as well as promotional ads including ‘Man Up’ (ABC TV) that went viral worldwide with 70 million hits. He is currently working on a production and orchestration project for Martha Marlow, due for release later in 2019. Jonathan has been an APRA ambassador since 2010.

Tim Firth:

Tim Firth is one of Australia’s most in-demand drummers. He has performed with some of Australia’s finest jazz musicians and has toured extensively throughout Australia, Europe and Asia. Tim completed two Bachelor of Music degrees at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and The University of New South Wales. He was the winner of the 2011 National Jazz Awards at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival and has recorded on more than 50 Albums. He frequently performs at Australia’s leading jazz festivals as well as International Festivals throughout Europe and South East Asia. Tim has performed with: Greg Osby (USA), Joel Frahm (USA), Robert Hurst (USA), Jay Anderson (USA), Will Vinson (USA), Don Rader (USA), Sachal Vasandani (USA), Arun Luthra (USA), Thirsty Merc, The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (La La Land and Mary Poppins Live to Film), Bernie Mcgann, James Morrison, Judy Bailey, Mike Nock, Dale Barlow, James Muller, Paul Grabowsky, Jamie Oehlers, Emma Pask, Kristin Berardi, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Mark Isaacs, Gian Slater, Craig Scott, Uncle Jed, Darren Heinrich, Virna Sanzone and many others.

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