Jazz Studies

Chair/Senior Lecturer
Craig Scott (Double Bass), MMus ANU GradCertHigherEd

Lecturers
William Motzing, BMus Eastm MMus Manhattan
David Theak (Saxophone), MMus(Perf)
Phillip Slater (Trumpet), BCA W'gong MMus ANU GradDipInfoMngt

Part-time Staff
Warwick Alder (Trumpet)
Judy Bailey OAM (Piano), ATCL
Dale Barlow (Saxophone)
Kerrie Biddell (Voice)
Steve Brien (Guitar)
Andrew Dickeson (Drums)
Kevin Hunt (Piano), MMus(Perf)
Col Loughnan (Saxophone)
Matt McMahon (Piano), ADJS BA
Mike Nock ONZM, MMus ANU (Piano)
David Panichi (Trombone)
Ron Philpott (Bass-Electric)
Julie Spithill (Piano Class), DSCM BA(Music) BA(Ed) MMus(MusEd)

L-R, Dave Panichi, Craig Scott, Judy Baily, Kevin Hunt, Matt McMahon, Judy Spithill, Mike Nock.

Chair/Senior Lecturer

Craig Scott (Double Bass), MMus ANU GradCertHigherEd

Craig Scott, chair of the Jazz unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, is one of Australia's leading bassists. He performs regularly at festivals around Australia and has worked with many national and international jazz musicians.

Scott began his career in 1979 with the Keith Stirling Quartet. Since then he has worked with many of Australia’s best jazz performers including Don Burrows, James Morrison, Julian Lee, Kerrie Biddell, Paul MacNamara, Steve McKenna, Steve Brien, Judy Bailey, Roger Frampton, Gordon Brisker, Cathy Harley, Trevor Griffin, Jim Pennell, and many others. His recent appearances with the Judy Bailey Trio and the Craig Scott Quintet include performances at the Wangaratta, Manly, Bellingen and Melbourne festivals.

Craig Scott has also accompanied an illustrious list visiting international jazz artists including: Joe Henderson, Red Rodney, Urbie Green, Eddie Daniels, Bobby Shew, Joachim Kuhn, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz, Mickey Tucker, James Williams, Ronnie Scott, Frank Morgan, George Cables, Jim McNeely and Mark Levine.

http://www.craigscott.com.au

Lecturers

David Theak (Saxophone), MMus(Perf)
David Theak is a respected saxophonist, composer and bandleader on the Australian Jazz Scene. He is a lecturer in the jazz unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Theak’s original jazz quartet 'theak-tet' has toured Australia (2000 & 2006) and Europe (2001 & 2004) and has recorded three critically acclaimed CDs featuring his compositions: Yellow Glasses (Self Released, 1999), Gamla Stan (Jazzhead, 2003) and Old School (Birdland, 2006). Theak-tet's most recent work, Old School, was recorded in Oslo at the internationally renowned Rainbow Studios.

In addition to his quartet, Theak is artistic director and lead saxophonist of the acclaimed, 17-piece Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, and facilitated a national tour with German Pianist / Composer Florian Ross in 2006. Theak has produced two Mothership Orchestra CDs: The Mothership Plays the Music of Mike Nock (Jazzgroove. 2006) and Dream Wheel (Birdland, 2007) both of which feature his large ensemble writing.

Theak has performed concerts at all of Australia's major jazz clubs and festivals (highlights include The Melbourne International Festival and the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz), and has performed concerts at many of Europe's finest jazz clubs (highlights include The Copenhagen Jazzhouse, Stockholm's Jazzclub Fasching, JazzClub Unterfahrt and the Brussels Jazz Marathon). Theak has also been featured on dozens of Australian albums including Steve Hunter’s Nine Lives (ABC, 1999) and his compositions have been heard on television and have appeared on the CDs of his peers.

David is researching and documenting the current state of infrastructure in the Australian Jazz Scene. His community involvement includes volunteer work as the President and Artistic Director of Sydney's Jazzgroove Association between 1998 and 2001, the founder of Jazzgroove Records, and as Treasurer for the Sydney Improvised Music Association between 2003 and 2006.

For more information see:
www.theak-tet.org
www.mothershiporchestra.com

William Motzing, BMus Eastm MMus Manhattan

William Motzing is a lecturer in the Jazz unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Born in the USA, Motzing earned his BMus from the Eastman School of Music/ University of Rochester and his MMus from the Manhattan School of Music. He studied composition with Ludmila Ulehla and with John Mayer at the Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK. He did Schönberg studies with Joseph Maneri at the New England Conservatory and Schillinger studies with Rudolph Schramm. He studied conducting with Ernest Matteo, Nicholas Flagello, Ionel Perlea and Olga von Geczy, and arranging with Rayburn Wright.

At the NSW State Conservatorium of Music (now Sydney Conservatorium of Music) William Motzing taught arranging, improvisation, jazz history and (for the Composition Department) film music composition.He led small groups, the big band and was jazz chair for three years. For three years he taught composition, theory, arranging and orchestraton at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne where he also conducted concerts of students' works for combined symphony orchestra and big band. He returned to the Conservatorium in 2001.

Motzing has also arranged, conducted and produced over 100 albums and CDs. He has arranged music for many stage productions in Australia, Europe and the USA, including the Academy Award presentations. As a composer his works include 15 film scores, 6 miniseries scores, 6 telemovie scores, and numerous big band and ensemble scores and orchestrations for other composers including Laurence Rosenthal, David Michael Frank, Ilya Cmiral, Joel Goldsmith and Søren Hyldgaard. He has also composed chamber and concert works including "Night Cries", recorded by Roger Frampton with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and was the sound designer for three years with Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Motzing also enjoyed a career as a professional trombonist. Heperformed with the Kai Winding Septet, Jon Eardly Quintet, Davey Schildkraut Quintet, Gerry Mulligan Big Band, Bill Russo Big Band, Sal Salvador Big Band, Kim Richmond Jazz Orchestra, Eastman-Rochester Symphony, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra among many others.

Phillip Slater (Trumpet), BCA W'gong MMus ANU GradDipInfoMngt
Phil Slater is a multi award winning Australian trumpeter and composer based in Sydney. He is the leader or co-leader of several bands including the Phil Slater Quartet and Band of Five Names. He teaches in the Jazz unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is coordinator of the Masters Jazz Analysis Seminar.

He has performed and recorded with a diverse range of artists including Nigel Kennedy, Lou Reed, DIG, Missy Higgins, Vince Jones, Bernie McGann, Archie Roach, Pnau, David Bridie, Katie Noonan, You Am I, Mike Nock, Terumasa Hino, The Sleepy Jackson, Jim Black and The Australian Art Orchestra.

Phil has performed in the Company B productions of Stuff Happens, and Exit the King as well as the Sydney Theatre Company productions of Mother Courage and The Sunshine Club. He has appeared as a featured soloist on many soundtrack recordings including Me Myself I, Three Dollars, Candy, Solo, Sample People and the TV series Wildside and Grass Roots.

In 2004, Phil was awarded the Bell Award for Australian Jazz Musician of the Year. He has also been awarded the Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship in 2002, and the 2003 TAC/Wangaratta Jazz festival National Jazz Award.

In 2002 Phil released Strobe Coma Virgo to critical acclaim, and has released three Band of Five Name recordings (Band of Five Names in 1998, Severance in 2002, and Empty Gardens in 2006). His latest recording is The Thousands.

See www.philslater.com for more information.

Part-time Staff

Warwick Alder (Trumpet)
Trumpet player Warwick Alder is composer and lecturer in Jazz improvisation and ensemble direction at Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Alder graduated with honours in Jazz Studies from Sydney Conservatorium in 1981 and since then has regularly performed with most major Australian jazz artists and many leading international artists. He has toured extensively in Australia and overseas.

In 1983 Warwick became a founding member of James Morrison's first band, Morrison Bros. Big Bad Band¬¬ and together they recorded two CDs and an ABC TV special. Also at this time he began playing with some leading avant-garde ensembles, developing his sense of freer improvisation and composition style. In 1986 he was chosen as a founding member of Ten Part Invention, still widely regarded as Australia's leading modern jazz ensemble. He also continued to play with Australia’s leading jazz traditionalists and in 1988 was chosen to represent Australia in the Bicentennial Australian Jazz Orchestra which toured Australia and the USA for six months. In 2005 he performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival and toured Europe with the legendary Bernie McGann and he has played with such international stars as Cleo Laine, Joe Williams, Branford Marsalis, Eartha Kitt and many others.

Alder's compositional skills were first recorded on Andrew Speight's CD Now's The Time ¬–“Feaux Pais" was inspired by The 1950s hard bop style. Bob Bertles recorded Alder’s songs "Ogogoro" and Here nor There" on his CD Cool Beans and more recently two Alder compositions “A Deep Shallow” and “Midget” appeared on Bernie McGann's CD Blues For Pablo Too (2005).

Steve Brien (Guitar)
Acclaimed jazz guitarist Steve Brien teaches in the Jazz unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He maintains a busy performance schedule, playing often in and around the Sydney Jazz scene. In 2005, he was awarded an Masters of Music from the University of Sydney.

Brien established himself in the Sydney Jazz scene in the late 1970s, playing with local jazz musicians such as Dale Barlow, James Morrison and Don Burrows. In 1985 he won an overseas study grant and went to New York City where he spent two years studying part-time with Jack Wilkins and John Scofield and playing with many New York musicians. He returned to Australia in 1987 and toured with the James Morrison Quintet, traveling extensively throughout Australasia and Europe. Brien returned to the US in 1992, and became established on the Connecticut jazz scene where he played with many local and New York jazz musicians, such as John Mastrioanni, Nicole Pasternak, Ralph Lalama, Ali Ryerson, Giacomo Gates and Joyce Di Camillo. He returned to Australia in 1998 to join the faculty of the Conservatorium.

Andrew Dickeson (Drums)
Drummer Andrew Dickeson is a lecturer in Jazz Drums at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Born in Newcastle, NSW, Dickeson began his musical education studying flute and percussion before dedicating himself to the study of jazz drumming. After completing an associate diploma in Jazz Studies at the NSW Conservatorium of Music, he travelled to New York City in the early 1990s to study with Jazz greats Art Taylor and Vernel Fournier.

Dickeson maintains a busy performance and recording schedule and over the years has worked with many of the world’s best contemporary jazz artists including Branford Marsalis, Eddie Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Junior Cook, Lee Konitz, Annie Ross, Mark Murphy, Kirk Lightsey, Bobby Shew, Gene Wright, Gary Smulyan, Richie Cole, Tony Monaco and many others. He’s also played with most of the major Australian jazz artists including Dale Barlow, James Morrison, Don Burrows, Don Rader, Roger Frampton, Mike Nock and Bob Barnard.

A fixture on the Sydney jazz scene and a regular performer at top festivals, Dickenson leads a number of groups of different sizes including the Andrew Dickeson Quartet and the Andrew Dickeson Quintet. He returns to New York regularly to perform and study. Most recently he studied with Bernard Purdie, Michael Carvin and the great Brazilian jazz drummer Vanderlei Pereira.

Kevin Hunt (Piano), MMus(Perf)
Kevin Hunt is an award-winning jazz pianist, composer and music educator who teaches in the Jazz unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Hunt studied under the direction of Don Burrows, Paul McNamara, Roger Frampton, Judy Bailey, George Golla and Dick Montz at the Conservatorium in the early 1980s. During this time, Hunt was also a member of The Northside Big Band under the direction of John Speight. This is where he began his playing association with James Morrison, and for the next five years Hunt recorded and performed with Morrison regularly. Also in 1982, Kevin joined the Daly Wilson Big Band for their final twelve months together.

In 1995, Hunt was invited to join Don Burrows as his full-time pianist. Today, he continues to play with Burrows, performing and teaching all over Australia and occasionally overseas.

The other main interests of Kevin’s musical life are the ensembles he leads and the concerts he produces. He is active with these four projects: 'The JS Bach Trio' – music of Johann Sebastian Bach is rearranged and improvised by the jazz trio; 'The Cocktails Trio'– swinging jazz trio music; 'Tree' – unique, contemporary trio music from acoustic to electronic sounds; and 'Ceremony'– a special jazz concert of vocal and instrumental sacred music. In each of these diverse areas of music, Kevin is able to produce workshops and recordings.

In 1998, the recording, Kevin Hunt Plays JS Bach was nominated for the Aria award for “Best Jazz Release”, and won the “ABC 24-Hours Listeners’ Choice Award for Best Jazz CD Release of 1998”. Also, in June 1999, Kevin was awarded the MO Award for “Jazz Instrumental Performer of the Year”.

Central to all this activity is Kevin’s jazz piano style which continues to evolve with many diverse musical influences, keeping his music fresh and inventive.

Dale Barlow (Saxophone)

One of Australia's most accomplished and internationally recognised jazz artists, Dale was a member of legendary American groups The Cedar Walton Quartet with Billy Higgins and David Williams, and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, two of the greatest training grounds for young musicians in jazz history.
Widely recognised as an inspiring, virtuosic and original saxophonist/ flautist and composer, he is also an accomplished bass clarinettist/ arranger and pianist. As a composer he has written for large and small ensemble, film, theatre and television, and recorded extensively.

As a member of Art Blakeys' Jazz Messengers he toured with Jackie McLean, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Freddie Hubbard and Wynton Marsalis for Art Blakeys' 70th Birthday world tour. Dale played in Chet Bakers group and lived with him for a time. He played and recorded with Kenny Barron/ Ray Drummond and Ben Riley. He played with the Gil Evans' Big Band, and was a member of the Billy Cobham band for 3 years. Dale has also played with Sonny Stitt, Chet Baker, Eddie Palmieri, Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Konitz, Helen Merryl, Mulgrew Miller, Cindy Blackman, Ernie Watts, Eddie Henderson, Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, Billy Higgins, Dave Kikowski, Jeff Watts, Essiet Essiet, Benny Green and Mike Nock. Dale also was a part of the English Jazz scene for some years where he performed at Ronnie Scotts many times as a part of Ronnies' band, as well as his own units, and was a composer and member of the original 'Loose Tubes Big Band'. He was in Stan Traceys' Group, Gordon Becks' Quintet, and performed with Kenny Wheeler and Django Bates. He recorded and performed with numerous pop artists while in England including- Wham, Style Council, Sting, Ian Dury.

Dale is originally from Sydney and went through the Con Jazz programme. He was a member of pivotal australian groups 'The Benders', 'Ten Part Invention' 'The Roger Frampton Band' the Young Northside BigBand and the Bruce Cale Quartet. After moving to New York, studied saxophone with George Coleman and Dave Liebman, piano with Barry Harris, and Hal Galper, and won a BMI scholarship to study at the "Jazz composers workshop" with Bob Brookmeyer and Manny Album. During this time he worked the New York Scene and toured the world constantly, performing regularly at major jazz festivals throughout the USA., Canada, Europe, Japan, Asia and the Soviet Union, and recording with many of the great Jazz Artists. Dale's group 'The Wizards of Oz' with Paul Grabowsky, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck, was the first australian group to undertake a major 2 continent tour (USA/Canada/Europe) with assistance from the Australia Council for the Arts.

Dale has a Masters of Music degree originally begun at City College New York under Ron Carter and completed at ANU Canberra.
He has received numerous awards and accolades including: 3 ARIA Awards, Album of the Year/ Jazz performer of the year/ International Artist of the Year/ Bicentennial Artist of the Year, four Mo Awards and numerous grants and credits for his for his achievements and contribution to the arts In Australia.

Col Loughnan (Saxophone)
Col Loughnan is a saxophonist who is well known in Australia as a soloist, composer/arranger and teacher. He has been a member of the Jazz faculty at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music since 1979, and has toured the USA, Australia and Asia as a soloist and educator. He has appeared on numerous recordings, and his latest, Ellen St, was released on the Newmarket label in 2007.

Over the years Loughnan has worked with artists as varied as Frank Sinatra, Freddie Hubbard, Sammy Davis Jr., Natalie Cole, The Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Toshiko/Tabakin Orchestra, The Daly/Wilson Big Band, Georgie Fame and Eberhardt Weber. He toured and recorded in the USA with his own group, Ayers Rock, from 1975 to 1976, and with the Judy Bailey Quartet throughout Australia and Asia from 1981 to 1986. He studied in the USA with Joe Allard, Victor Morosco, and Eddie Daniels.

Loughnan is also an accomplished arranger and music director for television: He was Musical Director for Rick Burch’s ABC Productions of the Marcia Hines and John Farnham TV Specials, part time staff arranger for TCN channel 9, and Musical Director for Australia in the Ottawa and Christchurch Pacific Song Contests.

For further information see www.colloughnan.com

Mike Nock ONZM, MMus ANU (Piano)

New Zealand born pianist/composer Mike Nock is one of Australasia’s best-known jazz musicians and a member of the jazz studies faculty at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music since 1986. His reputation rests partly on his international experience which includes 25 years working in the USA with many of the world's top jazz musicians plus a large catalogue of critically acclaimed, internationally released recordings and a substantial body of original compositions in print and on recordings.

Awards include the 2003 New Zealand Order of Merit for services to jazz, a two year Australian Arts Council Fellowship (1999-2001), three National Endowment Awards for composition (1972,1975,1978, all USA), New Zealand Jazz Record of the Year (1987,1989), three Australian Critics Awards (1991,1992, 1993), 2004 Australian contemporary CD of the year for Mike Nock's BigSmallBand LIVE, MO Award for Jazz Group of the Year (1993) and the Montsalvat Jazz Festival Roll of Honour (1995). In 1983 he hosted his own series on TVNZ Nock On Jazz and in 1993 was the subject of a TVNZ documentary Mike Nock–A Jazz Film. From 1996 to 2001 he was music director of the label Naxos/Jazz, overseeing the production of more than 60 acclaimed jazz CDs from around the world.

His compositions have been commissioned, performed and recorded by many classical and jazz musicians and he has made several international tours with his group. In addition to his work teaching at the Conservatorium, he has been guest lecturer at several Universities and Conservatoriums including Cleveland University in the US, Sibelius Institute in Finland and the Bruckner Conservatorium in Austria.

For further information see www.mikenock.com

Matt McMahon (Piano), ADJS BA
Matt McMahon is a pianist and composer who teaches in the jazz unit at the
Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

McMahon has been a part of the jazz scene in Australia since completing his studies¬ – B.A.(hons) and A.D.J.S. – in 1994. He leads the Matt McMahon Trio and is a co-leader of the Band of Five Names (with whom he has recorded several albums). He is the musical director for Vince Jones and a frequent collaborator with artists such as Phil Slater, Katie Noonan, Sandy Evans, Simon Barker, Steve Hunter, Dave Panichi and many others. He has appeared with a variety of groups and at major music festivals both in
Australia (Jazznow, Wangaratta Jazz Festival) and overseas.

His recent albums include Paths and Streams and Ellipsis, both recorded for the Kimnara label.