T
his year the Australia Council for the Arts Don Banks Award winner was Mike Nock. Esteemed Australian jazz musician (see story below).
Following on from this, the Australia Council has just distributed over $1.2m in its latest round of music grants. This money is for tours, concert series and recording projects.
“This outcomes of this funding are really wide ranging” says Australia Council Director, Music Paul Mason. “It will support over 5 festivals, and 170 gigs and concerts; it will help 10 bands and ensembles tour across the USA, Canada, UK, Europe and China; and over 50 composers and songwriters will receive assistance to write and record new work”
Successful projects from the jazz cannon include new albums from Matt McMahon, Mike Nock and Sean Foran along with tours from Andrea Keller and Gian Slater, as well as Adam Simmons “Slow Music Festival”, Jazz Queensland for the Brisbane International Jazz Festival and several performances at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.
More grant results from the Australia Council’s Recording Initiative, Contemporary Music Touring Program and PPCA Recording Artist initiative will be announced separately in coming weeks.
Full details at
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants/grant-decisions/reports/music/Music-Assessment-meeting-Report-February-2014-International-Pathways
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants/grant-decisions/reports/music/music-assessment-meeting-report-february-2014-presentation-and-promotion
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants/grant-decisions/reports/music/music-assessment-meeting-report-february-2014-new-work-writing-and-recording
The Australia Council for the Arts has paid tribute to jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Mike Nock at a celebration with his peers in Sydney on Saturday.
Mike was presented with The Australia Council’s Don Banks Award at a ceremony prior to his gig at the Seymour Centre’s Sound Lounge.
Australia Council Chief Executive Officer Tony Grybowski said Mr Nock had been a popular choice for the award. “Mike Nock continues to influence his peers, delight audiences and inspire the next generation of jazz musicians,” Mr Grybowski said. “The Council was delighted to recognise Mike’s extraordinary body of work as a performer, composer, creative collaborator, mentor and ambassador for jazz in Australasia. He is truly a luminary in his field.”
Respected bass player Jonathan Zwartz nominated Mr Nock due to his impact on the Australian Jazz scene. “Mike has had enormous success internationally, as a composer and a pianist, having recorded on the most prestigious jazz labels with some of the greatest names in the history of the jazz genre,” Mr Zwartz said. “He is a gifted collaborator, working with artists of different artistic disciplines as well as branching out into the classical music sphere.
“Mike has been a persistent mentor, encouraging younger musicians by having them play in his ensembles and providing recording and concert opportunities. There is no one more suitable for this award than Mike Nock.”
Mike said it was humbling to receive the award, which had energised him and boosted his confidence.
“But it also brings with it a sense of responsibility to the music community. They’ve shown they have faith in me and I have to step up to the plate,” Mike commented that jazz often gets overlooked and he described himself as a “missionary for jazz.” “The music really deserves to be heard so people can make up their own minds,”
Mike was reluctant to choose a career highlight, saying there had been so many. “This award is one of a list of highlights, but it’s all been great. I’m glad I’m still able to do all this stuff at my age and still be as keen as I ever was,”
For Mike there is still so much to do. He has been in discussions about recording a CD, regularly receives commissions for new work and continues to play with his various bands. “The music gives me energy. It’s a means of connecting with people,”
Many members of his bands have been his students and he said it was important to give back. “It goes along with the idea of being connected and sharing what you know,”
After the award ceremony Mike and his band performed a 60-minute suite, which he composed through a commission from the Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA), with support from the Australia Council.
It was written to mark SIMA’s 30th anniversary and Mr Nock said it reflected the journey he and SIMA had shared. He first performed the piece last year but last week he was still tinkering with it. “Things are never finished – we’ve got to keep looking at things.”
Other jazz recipients of the fellowship include
Dr Tony Gould (2009) – jazz pianist
Bob Sedergreen AM (2008) – jazz pianist
Allan Browne (2001) – jazz drummer
Bernie McGann (1998) – jazz saxophonist.
