Liam Noble (piano)
Back to the bands page“…A brilliant pianist… who hardly plays a solo without at least one turn of phrase that brings you to the edge of your seat”
John Fordham, The Guardian
After studying music at Oxford University and the postgraduate course at the Guildhall, Liam became the regular pianist with Stan Sulzmann . He went on to work with Anita Wardell, Harry Beckett, Tim Whitehead and John Stevens as well as recording and touring with cult minimalist composer Moondog. He also performed with John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler and Lol Coxhill.
Three years after leaving the Guildhall, Liam recorded the solo piano album ‘Close Your Eyes’, which featured free improvisations, compositions and interpretations of tunes by (amongst others) Ornette Coleman, Annette Peacock and Richard Rodgers.
In 1997, he joined the Bobby Wellins Quartet and he’s featured on the CD, ‘The Best is Yet to Come’ (Jazzizit Records). He is also a member of the Christine Tobin Band and the Randy Brecker English Sextet and has a duo project with Paul Clarvis playing music from West Side Story combines well-known material with a “stream of consciousness” improvisatory angle.
His band, the Liam Noble Group, features Stan Sulzmann, Chris Biscoe, Paul Clarvis and Mick Hutton. Influenced by “downtown” New Yorkers such as Wayne Horvitz and Bill Frisell, the compositions also reflect an interest in longer forms derived from studying Stravinsky and other classical composers. Their album, ‘In the Meantime’ is out on Basho Records.
In April 2002, a commission from Birmingham Jazz resulted in a song cycle based on Japanese Death Poetry featuring the contrasting voices of Kelsey Michael (vocalist with the High Llammas) and Christine Tobin, with Dave Wickins and Chris Biscoe. Liam plays keyboards and samples throughout, marking a new foray into electronica inspired by artists such as Aphex Twin and Arto Lindsay.
He recently released ‘Romance among the Fishes’, a quartet album with Phil Robson, Drew Gress and Tom Rainey was recorded in New York. ‘Let’s Call This’, his duo album with Ingrid Laubrock is due to be released in April 2006.
He has transcribed over 30 Bill Evans trio performances and written “Jazz Piano; an In-depth Look at the Styles of the Masters”, both for the American publisher Hal Leonard.
Liam recently released the duo CD “Starry Starry Night” awith Paul Clarvis nd Brubeck with Dave Whitford and Dave Wickins to much critical acclaim.
His newest release is the 2010 collaboration “Tapestry Unveiled” with singer Christine Tobim.