NICK PECK

Jazz Composer - Pianist - Organist - Arranger

Journal

AUG & SEPT 2008

The blagoratory is up and running. This is a small blog to feature some musical ideas, essays, comedy, as well as some other things I'm developing outside of music... Enjoy!

I have just finished recording an album with "Bearing Edge" (Richard Rozze, Vince Clarke and myself on Hammond) which we hope to have ready before the end of the year. You can catch the trio on a regular basis with our exciting and innovative re-workings of the Organ trio format, upcoming gigs in October will be a the Deal Hoy, and at Keppels' Bar (under the Grand Hotel, Folkstone), where a new, weekly series of Jazz concerts are creating a stir amongst local musicians and audiences...

Otherwise, I have been trying some different settings, a bit of electric folk music with Duke Street, a bit more straight ahead blues... some more funk and soul music... There will also be a nice gig at Olivers' in Greenwich with the organ trio and veteran saxophone master Paul Zec on the 27th Sept as part of the Riverfront Jazz Festival.

Also, we'll be having John Etheridge down for a gig at Frances Knight's Jazz the Riverside in Nov to join me on organ and Vince on drums. The last gig was very fun - so be there!... You have been warned!

JULY 2008

Hope you like the updated site... My next update will add a "blog" section, allowing a more informal space to discuss not just music, but some of the other side projects I'm developing in the worlds of film, animation and beyond...

In the meantime, I've extended the music playlist with some new tracks, so I hope you will find something either excite, sooth, inspire or maybe even suprise you... Its set to "random" shuffle, simply because I couldn't decide on an order. Enjoy for now.

As ever, the gig list provides a good summary of what I'm up to. Hope to see you soon.

MAY 2008

May brings us the both the Cannes Film Festival and a new series of Caution Wet Paint. Whilst keeping in the spirit of the first series, this time we tried to widen the scope of the episodes, with more developed ideas and production. One of the episodes was written by me and features our heroes Jay and Kay tangling with some nasty aliens from outer space, (thanks to my developing skills in Macromedia Flash Animation). As we speak, Charles Duke is at the Cannes Film Festival, were Caution Wet Paint - What Really Happened at the Bus Stop has been selected to appear. Also, The Briefcase, a film by talented new director Arinder Gill will be shown at Cannes and features some music by myself.

I have also been busy recording some new compositions with an exciting group of players from Kent and London, including Fulvio Sigurta, Paul Booth, Mat Miles, Paola Bottomley, Sam Dunn and Oli Blackman. This will hopefully form the first part of an album which I hope to have out next year, and we will be returning to the studio next month to play some smaller ensemble pieces which will form the 2nd half of the recording.

June will also see me taking a bit of time out from playing to work on a new animation as part of a short film to be released later in the year. Also, I hope to update my scores website with some new charts that have just been "hanging" in limbo, waiting to be committed to paper!

FEB 2008

New site up and running! Finally, my scores are available at www.nickpeck-scores.com. The site will mostly feature my music for jazz ensembles, bigbands, piano music and educational music for schools and colleges. Even if you're not out to buy anything, you can still use the site to get a more in-depth idea of what I do, (if you have Scorch installed, you can preview most of the scores before you buy). Only a limited amount of music is currently available, (its a lot of work when you do everything yourself, including all the web design, copying, artwork etc) so I won't be officially launching/promoting it for a while, until I am satisfied with the design and I have more items up there.

I hope this means I can get back to playing a bit more, (my piano has started doubling as a table due to the number of charts and papers lying around my office). Hats off to Phil Chaundy for recording some swinging sax sections on some of my latest charts. Remember that the Phil Chaundy/Nick Peck duo/quartet is at Orange Street Music club every month, and the Richard Rozze trio have been playing some burning gigs recently, including the Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable. Last month, there was a swingin' jazz session with Paul Booth and Ray Gelato, and I hope we get as many people down for the next concert with saxophonist Alan Barnes. I was on London's Nusound Radio earlier in the month, discussing the influence of Indian and Arabic sounds in my film music, (Two Glasses is still doing the rounds at London film festivals - I believe there is a showing at the Wood Green Film Festival soon). There is also a recording of some exciting new jazz ensemble charts I have written, featuring some great musicians, and that'll be happening soon. More about that when its done. Over and out...

Oh yes, I almost forgot - new TRIO dot ORG page, thanks to Sam for putting that together!

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