After studying music at Oxford University and
the postgraduate course at the Guildhall, Noble became the regular
pianist with Stan Sulzmann (in both duo and quartet settings) on
John Taylor’s recommendation. He went on to work in the bands
of Anita Wardell, Harry Beckett, Tim Whitehead and John Stevens
as well as recording and touring with cult minimalist composer Moondog.
During this period, he also performed with John Taylor (as part
of Stan Sulzmann’s two piano quintet), Kenny Wheeler and Lol
Coxhill.
Three years after leaving the Guildhall, Noble
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 Jazz Journal, Richard Palmer referred to him
as “…a writer of considerable idiomatic and emotional
range …he knows the instrument’s pantheon from Tatum
to Taylor…”
In 1997, he joined the Bobby Wellins Quartet,
a band that combines a standard repertoire with a contemporary sense
of interaction. A CD, “The Best is Yet to Come” is available
on Jazzizit Records. He is also a member of the Christine Tobin
Band and the Randy Brecker English Sextet, with whom he recently
performed at Cheltenham Festival. A duo project with Paul Clarvis
playing music from West Side Story combines well-known material
with a “stream of consciousness” improvisatory angle.
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.
Noble plays keyboards and samples throughout, marking a new foray
into electronica inspired by artists such as Aphex Twin and Arto
Lindsay. He is also a regular member of the Julian Siegel Group
and appears on Siegel’s much acclaimed recent album “
Close Up ” (mactwo).
In his new album, "In the Meantime",
Noble’s compositions are highly individual, quirky, sometimes
humorous or intensely lyrical and demonstrate his continuing interest
in combining unorthodox structural design with improvisation using
an ensemble of highly contrasting players. Focusing on the multi-reed
front line of Stan Sulzmann and Chris Biscoe (on the rarely heard
alto clarinet), the rhythm section features Paul Clarvis and Mick
Hutton. Four years of gigging have established a symbiotic relationship
between written and improvised material, and an almost orchestral
use of colour & space. 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.