Mike Nock Pianist Mike Nock has been making music for forty years, applying his touch to recordings and tours with artists covering all spectrums of music...from Coleman Hawkins to Dionne Warwick to Sam Rivers.   Now, Nock has embarked on a new creative endeavor, that of running Naxos Jazz, a new label devoted to perpetutaing the authenticity of the art, while encouraging label artists to explore their own voices.  Naxos is a world wide leader in marketing classical recordings, and their reputation for cutting-edge marketing, quality and value is carrying over to the jazz label as well.  Their recordings are generally fabulous, and their concept is beginning to take shape as more discs become available.   Will Naxos do for America's "classical music" what they have done for....classical music?  Read what Nock says! JJM:  Please, give us a brief background of your career. NOCK:  Pianist /Composer, born in New Zealand, 1940. My first recordings  were made in Australia in1959, 1960. From 1961 - 1985, I lived in the US, working with such musicians as Coleman Hawkins, Dionne Warwick, Sam Rivers, Yusef Lateef, John Handy, Teo Macero, and appeared on more than 80 jazz recordings. In the late 60’s I led the seminal jazz-rock group THE FOURTH WAY, and have since recorded over 20 albums as leader for such labels as ECM, Timeless, Tomato, Enja and most recently Naxos/Jazz. JJM:  Given the diversity of the musicians you have played with, who of all of them do you still carry inside you, both creatively and from a business/leadership sense? NOCK:  Saxophonist Sam Rivers for his passionate and open approach to music-making, drummer Tony Williams for his originality and ability to hear the music in it’s totality and singer Dionne Warwick for her close attention to every aspect of musical nuance. JJM:  Was any one performer a "leadership mentor"? NOCK:  Yusef Lateef, particularly for his consistency, depth of feeling and willingness to experiment on the bandstand. JJM:  How did your relationship with Naxos founder Klaus Heymann develop? NOCK:  I met Klaus Heymann around the time he started the previous Naxos/Jazz label which had several problems, which is why I was invited to be musical director for the label in its present form. JJM:  What sort of artist are you looking for to record for Naxos Jazz? NOCK:  High on the list of desirable qualities would be originality, capability and artistic integrity. JJM:  What is your vision for this label? NOCK:  I see Naxos/Jazz establishing itself as a label where one can expect to hear the very best emerging artists on the contemporary international jazz scene. JJM:  Where do you see it in three years? NOCK:  In three years time I see Naxos/Jazz established as a leading label enjoying healthy sales worldwide, with a large and diverse catalogue. JJM:  Classical music is repertoire and composer driven. Can jazz be marketed in this way as well? NOCK:  To some extent repertoire is a consideration ( e.g. composers like Ellington or Monk ) but to most knowledgeable jazz buyers, jazz is primarily artist driven. JJM:  Indeed, is there any similarity to marketing jazz as there is classical music? NOCK:  There are some similarities but generally its a different ball game. JJM:  How have the musicians reacted to the Naxos marketing strategy? NOCK:  The reaction we have received from musicians all over the world is extremely positive. JJM:  Does there seem to be retail support for the concept? NOCK:  With some notable exceptions, retail support generally has been slower than hoped for, but with Naxos/Jazz’s increasing market visibility I have every confidence this will change radically. JJM:  How important is retail price when a consumer makes a decision to buy jazz? NOCK:  Not so important if the artist is well known, but in the case of less well known artists such as presented on Naxos/Jazz, I think price is a big factor. JJM:  Is there a label you would like to emulate? NOCK:  While there are many labels I admire, given the current state of jazz recording there is none I wish to emulate. JJM:  Is there indeed a precedent for Naxos' philosophy? NOCK:  I don't know of one, especially in the area of budget pricing for contemporary jazz and in the international scope of the catalogue. JJM:  Will there be a "Naxos tour?" NOCK:  There is no planning for this at the present time. JJM:  What is the most successful release to date, and what made it so appealing? NOCK:  Sales wise the most successful has been a local Finnish release, Lenni -Kalle Taipale Trio “NOTHING TO HIDE”, due for imminent international release. An exciting young virtuosic piano trio, with some contemporary touches (electronics, percussion ).  They really connected with the Finnish youth market, selling some 20,000 copies in the first 3 months of release. JJM:  How many releases are you planning this year? NOCK:  20 to 22. JJM:  There seems to be significant critical acclaim in the U.S. for the entire catalog thus far. In general, how does Naxos plan to work a project and get the most out of each release before another group of them are released? NOCK:  Naxos is planning on releasing a steady output of 2 CDs a month to build up our catalogue and customer support. JJM  Would you say that consumers of jazz are label conscious? NOCK:  This used to be the case to some extent, but with rising CD costs and the wide variety of music in many label’s catalogues I don’t think this is so true anymore. JJM:  If they buy a Naxos disc or two and are satisfied with the performance, will they begin buying more without the need for hearing them on the radio first? NOCK:  I would hope so and think the lower price level makes this likely to happen. JJM:  Who is the cutting edge pianist in jazz now? NOCK:  Is there a cutting edge pianist in jazz right now ? JJM:  How do you view the Internet in terms of marketing and distributing jazz in the future? NOCK:  The jury is still out on this one. The Internet will obviously have an impact on the way recorded jazz is sold, but I think many jazz sales will still take place in specialist stores and situations where audiences can make personal contact with the musicians (concerts, etc) JJM:  What's in store for jazz in the 21st Century? NOCK:  More variety and I fervently hope, much greater public awareness and acceptance of this music in all areas of society. _______________________________ * Comment on this interview and other topics in our Readers Write section. If you enjoyed this interview, you may want to read our interview with jazz critic Francis Davis. * Other Jerry Jazz Musician interviews