John Mock

John Mock is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and photographer with a particular interest in the topic of maritime history and culture.

John Mock
GenresAcoustic music, Irish music, Celtic music
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar, concertina, penny whistle, mandolin, bodhrán, harmonium, uilleann pipes, bouzouki, wood flute, recorder
Years active1991–present
LabelsGreen Hill, Spring Hill, SoundArt
Associated actsButch Baldassari, Sylvia Hutton
Websitewww.johnmock.net

Biography

Early Years

Mock is a native of Connecticut’s eastern shore. His father was in the Coast Guard in New London, Connecticut, and Mock grew to love the ocean and shore. Mock began playing guitar at age 15. When he visited Ireland at age 28, he started playing the tin whistle, and he took up the concertina in his 30s.[1]

Composing, arranging, session work

Eventually, Mock left the Atlantic coast for Nashville, where he worked as a composer, arranger and instrumentalist. His orchestral arrangements have been performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the symphonies of Atlanta and Nashville.[2]

Mock has recorded and performed with a number of prominent artists, including the Dixie Chicks,[3] Dolly Parton,[4] and Nanci Griffith.

Photography

While living in Nashville, Mock traveled frequently to New England, Ireland, and Scotland, where he took photographs of old castles, lighthouses, and ships. He uses projections of these photographs in his music presentations.[5]

From The Shoreline

Mock has toured extensively to stage his concert presentation From the Shoreline, which uses multimedia to celebrate the Atlantic coastline from New England to Ireland. He performs original compositions on guitar, concertina, mandolin, tin whistle and other instruments. His photography is projected onto a screen, and he also provides narration.[6]

Keeper's House Concert Series

In 2013, Mock was recognized by the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) as an artist advocate. He launched the Keeper’s House Concert Series to benefit the ALF and to promote the appreciation and preservation of lighthouses.[7]

Collaborations

In 1998, Mock and the late Butch Baldassari released Cantabile: Duets for Mandolin and Guitar, both as a CD and a book of music transcriptions. In 2007, they recorded Music of O'Carolan, a tribute to Irish composer Turlough O'Carolan.[8] Both albums are on Baldassari's SoundArt label.

Starting from 1996 (The Real Story) to 2016 (It's All in the Family), Mock has been producing and arranging country singer Sylvia Hutton's albums. He also writes the music for many of her songs.[9]

Other projects

Mock contributed bodhrán, low whistle, and penny whistle to the soundtrack for Liberty! The American Revolution spearheaded by Mark O'Connor, Yo Yo Ma, and James Taylor.

He also worked with Ma on Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology along with O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush, and others.

Mock has recorded numerous albums of Irish and Colonial American instrumental music for Green Hill Music of Nashville.

Discography

Solo albums
  • 2005: The Day at Sea (self-released)
  • 2011: Keeper's Companion (self-released)

Spring Hill / Green Hill titles
  • 1994: Early American Christmas (Green Hill)
  • 1995: Classical Hymns (Green Hill)
  • 1995: Classical Strings (Green Hill)
  • 1996: Celtic Visions (Spring Hill)
  • 1996: Old England Hymns (Spring Hill)
  • 1999: Celtic Portraits (Green Hill)
  • 2000: New England Portraits (Green Hill)
  • 2001: Celtic Highlands (Green Hill)
  • 2001: Revolution: Songs of the Revolutionary War (Green Hill)
  • 2005: Christmas In New England (Green Hill)

Collaborations

As arranger

As producer
  • 1996: Sylvia - The Real Story (Red Pony)
  • 2002: Sylvia - Where In The World (Red Pony)
  • 2002: Sylvia - A Cradle In Bethlehem (Red Pony)
  • 2014: Craig Bickhardt - The More I Wonder (Stone Barn)
  • 2016: Sylvia - It's All in the Family (Red Pony)[9]

Also appears on

References
  1. Lovett, Katie (July 28, 2011). "A shore thing: Mock combines his two passions". Newbury Port Daily News. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  2. Nunez, Taylor (July 25, 2013). "Sights and sounds of the Shores". Worcester Magazine. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  3. Mirkin, Steven (July 20, 2003). "Review: 'Dixie Chicks'". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  4. Cardwell, Nancy (Jul 22, 2011). The Words and Music of Dolly Parton (1 ed.). Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  5. Feinberg, Robbie (March 27, 2016). "Multi-Instrumentalist John Mock Uses Music to Help Preserve Lighthouses". WMUK. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  6. Pritchard, Mike (August 10, 2010). "Artist John Mock Returns to Absecon Lighthouse". Atlantic City Weekly. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  7. ""ALF Artist Advocate" Partnership with Musician John Mock". American Lighthouse Foundation. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  8. "Butch Baldassari & John Mock, Music of O'Carolan: Ireland's Bard". Rambles.net. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  9. Yap, Timothy (September 14, 2016). "Sylvia Announces Upcoming Album 'It's All in the Family'". Hallels. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
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