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.
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If you enjoyed this interview, you may want to read our interview with jazz critic Francis Davis.
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