Some Upcoming concerts 2025:
Chris Cody Trio at Huberts, Bligh St Sydney Feb.24-27
Chris Cody, Mountain To Sea, Foundry 616, Sydney, April 3
Chris Cody, Camelot Lounge June 12
Europe tour July, stay tuned for dates
Album Releases:
Under Ocean was released January 27, 2025 with a live concert and full house at Monday Night Confessions. Chris Cody and Charlie Tait use solo piano, sound effects, electronics and other instruments to create large soundscapes. Their music combines jazz and classical with contemporary electronic music to create new sonic landscapes that are both lyrical and expansive, evoking a range of emotions and imagined places and moods.
“This is marvellous, but Chris Cody always delights. This excellent project with Charlie Tait is a new direction, but as with his previous albums, worlds unfold and entrance. One of my favourite musicians”. John Fenton, jazzlocal32
Mountain To Sea has also just been released and features well known Australian musicians Lloyd Swanton (the Necks), Sandy Evans, tenor sax, and newcomer Tessie Overmyer alto sax. A quartet without drums, there is space for groove and lyricism. Cody’s compositions combine with solo improvisations to take the listener on a rich imaginative journey.
“This latest recording from the pianist/composer is engrossing music of the highest quality, a masterclass in how to be full of sound without necessarily being furious… the album combines jazz, classical, African and French influences, in an intimate and fluid performance that combines masterful skills and musicality.
Cody is a highly skilled pianist/composer who stands at the forefront of the Australian jazz scene. His compositions are richly textured and anchored by a sophisticated modern edge, drawing from various genres. In the opening track, Stepping Out, with its Cameroon-African French influence, there is a delightfully upbeat conversation between all four musicians.
Throughout the album, utilizing extended techniques, this drumless ensemble finds countless innovative ways to exploit the various possibilities of their instruments, notably on the four brief improvisational tracks, Piano, Alto, Soprano and Bass. Throughout the longer extended tracks of Journey, Mountains, Dream, Quiet and Slow, delightful examples of the quartet’s cohesive interplay showcase blending intricate meters with a focus on creative freedom within well-defined structures.
Cody’s album offers a compelling and multifaceted listening experience, confirming this quartet’s creative vitality.”
– Barry O’Sullivan – Fine Music magazine
Albums are available digitally and on CD at
at Readings, Birdland, and by contacting Chris at chriscody.com.
New work The Outsider has received rave reviews:
“The more ambitious the project the more Chris Cody rises in stature.”
“One able to range through fields of jazz, North African/Middle Eastern deserts, free improvisation and material that might be considered more filmic or programmatic.”
“rhythmically shape-shifting…creative… thrilling”
“Chris Cody’s piano solo exemplified his capacity to combine impressionism and expressionism in equal measure”
“Cody crowned Alone with a solo of impeccable architecture.” – The Outsider, John Shand, SMH
This work has been performed around Australia and also in Europe to marvellous audience response to the emotions and themes conveyed.
Reviews of Astrolabe:
“Enthralling tribute to French explorer…startlingly effective music” – Sydney Morning Herald
“Joyous and up-tempo…beautifully meditative…sublime…wonderful…a thrilling musical voyage” – Loudmouth Magazine
“One of the hottest tickets of Autumn” – Spectrum, SMH
Five Stars: “a vibrant and exciting musical odyssey … excellent compositions … meticulously performed” Barry O’Sullivan, Fine Music Magazine
“Four stars: fascinating…an exotic soundscape…exceedingly gifted” The Australian, April 11 2020
“It’s as if new instruments are being devised by the minute …simply absorb the enthralling music … even more notable is the coherence and thoughtfulness of the composing as we journey across this new musical world.” John Shand, SMH July 17 2020
“Absolutely fascinating music and story” – Philip Adams, ABC
“A beautiful and original suite of music “ – Andrew Ford, The Music Show, ABC
“Not My Lover” (Wave15001) is still selling well, available in all good record stores, via this website, Bandcamp.com and elsewhere online. Its been Cd of the week on ABC jazz, and has been broadcast around Australia on ABC, SBS, 3RRR, PBS, Eastside, 2MBS, Fine Music, and extensively in France and Europe. Its been getting very positive responses and feedback.
THE CRITICS SAY:
“A piano style that enthuses, is luminous and breathes… a singing right hand… a masterpiece…very inspired…a fine and solid quartet and especially a remarkable pianist ” Jazz Hot, Serge Baudot, France
“You can feel the ebb and flow of the city’s life running through his fingertips as he plays” John Fenton, Auckland NZ
“You feel a particular cosmopolitanism seeping through the music: jazz colliding with European sensibilities and France colliding with African ones. Cody is an equally sophisticated composer and pianist who likes to create mood-based pieces and solos in which a touch of ambiguity or mystery compounds the interest. Tenor saxophonist Karl Laskowski highlights the ambiguous elements with his dry sound and fine sense for weighting a solo, so evident on the pretty Pop It. Bassist Brendan Clarke and drummer James Waples play with a restraint that deepens the music’s shadows (rather than adding garish colour), and this helps Cody to generate a striking luminosity from the piano’s upper register. The cross-cultural rendition of I Love Paris is especially vivid, both musically and as a depiction of the City of Light as it now is.” SMH John Shand Australia
“Cody works with flair and sensitivity” The Australian
“a very solid and satisfying disc… a fast, happily frantic dance… top flight musicians… the piano suggests both abandon and contemplation… his playing is often funky with a modern boogie or shuffle feeling to it” John Clare, Loudmouth
AN ARTICLE IN QANTAS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE:
“He has earned a reputation as one of the best pianists in the city, playing alongside Rhoda Scott and Glenn Ferris (trombonist for the late Frank Zappa and Stevie Wonder).
His jazz skilfully fuses modern, classical and North African influences, and he can be found performing in some of the best jazz venues including Caveau des Legendes and Duc des Lombards.”
Qantas article This is the PDF of the article on the Qantas website. Thanks Qantas!
Don’t forget! You can follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chriscodymusic