BELIEVE (Sydney/NSW) ‘Nature’s God’ Album Launch
Sunday, July 12, 2026 @ 7:30 pm
Doors open at 7:00 pm
Sydney quartet BELIEVE return to Melbourne to launch ‘Nature’s God’ – the second volume of a two-album release in collaboration with New York’s Relative Pitch and Melbourne’s Ramble Records. As John Shand of The Sydney Morning Herald recently wrote about the band -“I know of no more sophisticated activity of which humans are capable than freely improvising at this level.”
This powerhouse band combines four of the most inventive improvisers – and composers – in Sydney’s creative music scene. Drummer and composer Laurence Pike has internationally released five solo albums (as well as two duo albums with Mike Nock); bassist Clayton Thomas spent over a decade based in Berlin, recording with artists such as Ken Vandemark, Paul Lovens, and Alexander von Schlippenbach (as well as founding the Now Now festival of spontaneous music in Sydney); keyboardist Novak Manojlovic was the recipient of the 2019 Freedman Fellowship (Jazz) and is the Artistic Director of S.I.M.A., recording with groups such as microfiche, HEKKA, and Godtet; alto saxophonist Peter Farrar toured with Wadada Leo Smith and recorded with Mike Nock.
BELIEVE connects the spectrum of contemporary creative sound making with the fluid, anything is possible momentum of free jazz. When benchmarks are Albert Ayler and The Necks, and you intend to play for the universe, not the algorithm, the remarkable is possible. For the past three and half years this Sydney-based quartet has committed to a musical process of learning, exploring, experimenting and growing in public. No other local group has been so committed to playing live.
Peter Farrar – Alto Saxophone & Percussion
Novak Manojlovic – Piano & Percussion
Clayton Thomas – Double Bass & Percussion
Laurence Pike – Drums & Percussion
‘The most honest jazz being made today – this is music for our times’ – Mike Nock
The Melbourne Jazz Co-operative is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting original live jazz performance by established and emerging artists in Melbourne.
Since 1983 our objectives have been to increase the exposure of contemporary jazz performance by making it accessible to audiences, and to provide award waged performance opportunities for emerging and established artists.
In addition to support derived from member contributions, the MJC is assisted by the Victorian Government, through Creative Victoria, via its Arts Development Programs. MJC was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body from 1983-2017 inclusive, and was delighted to receive Australia Council funding of $60,000 for our 2019 program.
The MJC received $40,000 from the Australia Council over the 2021/2022 Financial Year, and was pleased to received a grant of $75,341 from Creative Australia (with Music Australia contribution) for our 2025 Annual Program.
Our sold-out 40th Anniversary Concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre in May 2023 was supported by a $20,000 grant from Creative Victoria’s Creative Projects program.