Steve Newcomb
Stephen Newcomb (born August 2, 1976) is an Australian pianist, composer, and arranger who has worked and recorded with classical, jazz, and pop musicians. He is most known for his arranging of orchestration work for symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles with longtime collaborator Katie Noonan. Their collaboration on Elixir's album First Seed Ripening won Best Jazz Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2011, and follow up album Gratitude and Grief[1] with cartoonist Michael Leunig received nomination for Best Jazz Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2018. Their collaboration on the album Fierce Hearts, produced as the soundtrack to contemporary circus Circa's show Love-Song-Circus received nomination for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2014. His work has earned recognition in the Australian Jazz Bell Awards, including 2016 dual nominations with Angela Davis for Lady Luck (which Newcomb arranged)[2], and winning Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album with Kristin Berardi for Where or When (on which Newcomb was pianist).[3]
Biography
Early years and education
Newcomb was born on the Gold Coast, Australia and began studying piano at age 5 with his mother Jennifer Newcomb. He completed a Bachelor of Music (Honours) at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University majoring on trombone where he studied with Arthur Middleton. During his undergraduate degree he took on a second study in jazz piano.
Newcomb attended Manhattan School of Music, where he studied jazz piano and improvisation with Kenny Barron, Garry Dial, Dave Liebman, and arranging with Mike Abene and Manny Albam, earning a Master's degree in Music in 2001[4]. He settled in Brisbane to take up a position at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University where he is currently head of jazz and senior lecturer in jazz piano, jazz ensembles, and arranging.[5] Newcomb returned to Manhattan School of Music in 2009 to undertake a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the tutelage of Jim McNeely, and Phil Markowitz.
Career
In 2011 he attended the Metropole Orchestra Arrangers Workshop where the guest soloist was Roberta Gambarini.[6] He then contributed arrangements for the Metropole Orchestra and Dutch artist Alain Clark, released as Alain Clark Live With the Metropole Orchestra. Newcomb took part in the Orchestra's Tweetphony, a world first as protest against planned cutbacks in public broadcasting within the Netherlands.[7] He was the recipient of an award via the Dame Joan Sutherland Fund in 2011, through the American Australian Association.[8] Newcomb was a finalist for the APRA Professional Development Award in 2013.[9]
He is a founding co-leader of the Brisbane based West End Composers Collective which he led with trumpeter Laura Kahle from 2003, and later with saxophonist Rafael Karlen. This 10-piece jazz ensemble toured Australia[10] twice and has released two studio albums, Downstream[11][12], and Driving Hat.[13] He is also one of the founding pianists who took part in the Piano Mill project, and in 2019 was commissioned to write "Astronauts Aviary Antics" for this unique site-specific performance instrument.[14]
Compositions and projects
Big Band/Jazz ensemble
- 2011 Caterpillar Chronicles
- 2014 Catch of the Day
- 2015 Peace in Stillness
- 2018 Various songs for Vince Jones and Megan Washington
Small ensemble
- 2012 The Family Law, for Southern Cross Soloists with Benjamin Law
- 2012 To Walk[15]
- 2013 Antihero Suite[16]
- 2015 Kicking Gaols[17]
- 2017 Suspended Belief[18]
- 2019 Astronauts Aviary Antics, for The Piano Mill
Arrangements and orchestrations
- 2004 "Lush Life" and "Poor Butterfly" on Katie Noonan's album Two of a Kind
- 2005 "Boxing" and "Evaporated" on Ben Folds and WASO Live in Perth
- 2009 "Angel", "Strangers", and "Wist" for Paul Grabowsky, Katie Noonan and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
- 2010 Various songs on Katie Noonan's album Emperor's Box
- 2011 Various songs on Elixir feat. Katie Noonan's album First Seed Ripening
- 2011 "My One and Only Love" and "Yarn" on Kristin Berardi's album Kristin Berardi Meets The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra[19]
- 2015 Various songs for Jef Neve and The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra[20]
Discography
As arranger/orchestrator
- Katie Noonan – Two of a Kind (ABC Music, 2004)
- Ben Folds – Live In Perth with West Australian Symphony Orchestra (Sony, 2005)[21]
- Katie Noonan – Emperor's Box (Sony Music Australia, 2010)
- Elixir feat. Katie Noonan – First Seed Ripening (ABC Music, 2011)
- Alain Clark – Live With the Metropole Orchestra (8ball Music, 2011)
- Katie Noonan – Fierce Hearts (KIN MUSIC, 2014)
- Angela Davis – Lady Luck (Angela Davis, 2015)[22]
- Elixir feat. Katie Noonan – Gratitude and Grief (KIN MUSIC, 2018)
As arranger and conductor
- Chris McNulty – Eternal (Palmetto, 2015)[23]
As composer
- Steve Newcomb & Alistair Noble – Music of the Piano Mill 2019 (Harrigans Lane Collective, 2020)[24]
As leader/co-leader
- Steve Newcomb Orchestra – Caterpillar Chronicles (Listen Hear, 2013)[25]
- VNMG – Down Homeless (PG Records, 2002)[26][27]
As sideperson
- Manhattan School Of Music Jazz Orchestra – Contemporary Jazz Composition (MSM, 2005)[28]
- James Whiting – Burbank (Independant, 2011)[29][30]
- Ken Stubbs – Strange Attractors (CherryK Records, 2011), with Scott Tinkler, Simon Barker, Brett Hirst[31]
- Ken Stubbs – Crooked Crooks Cracks (CherryK Records, 2012), with Scott Tinkler, Simon Barker, Brett Hirst[32]
- Kavita Shah – Visions (Inner Circle Music, 2014), co-produced by Lionel Loueke[33]
- Kristin Berardi – Where or When (ABC Music, 2015)[34]
References
- ↑ "New Album Of Leunig's Poems By Katie Noonan And Elixir". Sounds Like Sydney. 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ ljazzn (2015-03-08). "CD REVIEW: Angela Davis Quartet plus Strings – Lady Luck / #IWD2015". News, reviews, features and comment from the London jazz scene and beyond. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ↑ "Where or When". ABC Music. 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ↑ Jazz, All About. "Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra: Contemporary Jazz Composition album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ↑ "Staff". www.griffith.edu.au. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ↑ "The Metropole Orkest o.l.v. Vince Mendoza invites Roberta Gambarini". LantarenVenster Rotterdam (in Nederlands). Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ↑ "Metropole Orkest succesvol met Tweetphony: beluister - Jazzenzo". www.jazzenzo.nl. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ↑ "Art Fund Past Scholars". American Australian Association. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ↑ Cashmere, Paul (2013-03-06). "APRA Announce Professional Development Awards Finalists". Noise11.com. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ↑ "Live On Stage - 17/12/2004: The West End Composers Collective - Live from Bennetts Lane". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ "West End Composers Collective". Radio National. 1998-08-18. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ West End Composers Collective – Downstream (2003, CD), retrieved 2021-12-31
- ↑ Hash (2008-09-30). "West End Composers Collective - Driving Hat". Jazz Australia. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ Astronauts Aviary Antics - Stephen Newcomb - Easter at The Piano Mill 2019, retrieved 2021-12-31
- ↑ "Impulse, by Clint Allen / Martin Fondse / Zapp4". Clint Allen. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ "Steve Newcomb's Toy Piano world". ABC Radio National. 2013-02-15. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ "Human Detained". makeshiftdance. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ Ensemble Trivium Promo 'Locally Sourced', retrieved 2021-12-31
- ↑ "Kristin Berardi Meets the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra". Radio National. 1998-08-18. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ "Jef Neve with the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra live at Sydney Festival". Radio National. 2013-12-23. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ Live In Perth (with West Australian Symphony Orchestra) by Ben Folds, 2017-04-22, retrieved 2021-12-30
- ↑ ljazzn (2015-03-08). "CD REVIEW: Angela Davis Quartet plus Strings – Lady Luck / #IWD2015". News, reviews, features and comment from the London jazz scene and beyond. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ↑ "Eternal. Chris McNulty | Loud Mouth - The Music Trust Ezine". Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ↑ "Music of the Piano Mill 2019, by Steve Newcomb & Alistair Noble". Harrigans Lane Collective. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ mcbeath, jazz: john (2013-10-11). "Caterpillar Chronicles (Steve Newcomb Orchestra)". The Australian. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ↑ Down Homeless (feat. Vinson, Newcomb, Morgan & Gabis) by VNMG, 2002-09-16, retrieved 2021-12-30
- ↑ "WILL VINSON - VNMG : Down Homeless". JazzMusicArchives.com. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- ↑ Jazz, All About. "Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra: Contemporary Jazz Composition album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- ↑ "ALBUMS". jameswhiting. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- ↑ "WILL MEGAN HAVE AN OPINION?". Ausjazz Blog. 2012-07-04. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
- ↑ "Strange Attractors, by Ken Stubbs". Ken Stubbs. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ↑ "Crooked Crooks Cracks, by Ken Stubbs". Ken Stubbs. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ↑ Gama, Raul da (2014-10-08). "Kavita Shah: Visions". World Music Report. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ↑ "Where or When". ABC Music. 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
External links
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