‘Spence has that priceless gift of always leaving you wanting more.’ Jazzwise Magazine UK

Pianist, improvisor and composer, Alister Spence has established a reputation as a pre-eminent creative force in jazz and improvised music in Australia and beyond. With a performing and composing career spanning more than 30 years, his wide-ranging talents have led him to perform with and compose for some of the world’s most respected artists in contemporary music, improvisation, film and theatre.

His solo piano double album, Whirlpool (ASM009, 2020) was listed Best of 2020 in New York City Jazz Record.

The Alister Spence Trio with Lloyd Swanton (the Necks) on double bass and Toby Hall (formerly with pianist, Mike Nock) drums and glockenspiel has enjoyed critical acclaim. This celebrated group has recorded eight CDs (Rufus Records and Alister Spence Music) and has a growing international reputation.

In 2020, the trio joined with Ed Kuepper (co-founder of influential proto-punk group The Saints and founder of The Laughing Clowns) to form Asteroid Ekosystem. Their debut CD Asteroid Ekosystem (ASM010, 2020) was nominated for a 2021 APRA/AMCOS Art Music Award. ‘Set the controls for the heart of the Sun!' (Rigo Dittmann, Bad Alchemy). Asteroid Ekosystem Live (ASM014) was released in 2023.

Not Everything But Enough (ASM005, 2017) was voted in Top 10 Jazz Releases 2017, Music Magazine, Japan and received ‘Honorary Mention, Best of 2017’ in New York City Jazz Record. Alister Spence Trio: Live (ASM004, 2015) was recorded live at the Sound Lounge, Sydney in 2015 and received a 4 star review in Jazzwise Magazine. It was nominated for Australian Jazz Bell Awards 2016 and Art Music Award Excellence in Jazz 2016. Far Flung (Rufus Records 2012) also received a 4 star review in Jazz Journal (June 2013) and was listed in Critics Poll 2013 (January 2014). It was also listed in The WIRE 2013 Rewind - Critics' reflections by Andy Hamilton as Album of the year. fit (Rufus Records 2009) was voted in the top 15 jazz/improv releases worldwide for 2009 by The Wire, UK.  Both Mercury (Rufus Records 2006) and Flux (Rufus Records 2003) received ARIA nominations (Australian Record Industry Awards) for 2004, 2007.  The trio toured in U.K and Canada in 2006 and Japan in 2008.

 Since performing at The Vilnius Jazz Festival 2009, with bassist, Joseph Williamson (Tobias Delius Quartet, Alex Ward) and drummer, Chris Cantillo (Nils Berg Cinemascope, Lena Nyberg), Alister has returned to Europe and the UK on a regular basis to tour with this lineup. Spence/Williamson/Cantillo released their debut album, Begin (Alister Spence Music ASM003) in 2015. It was described as “Brilliant musicianship, masterful playing and imaginative improvisational skills by Euyal Hareuveni, Salt Peanuts and nominated for an APRA/AMCOS Art Music Award 2015.

Alister also performs with improvising group Sensaround  - Alister Spence/keyboards, Raymond MacDonald (Scotland)/saxophone and Shoeb Ahmed/samples releasing three CDs Isoptropes (2014), Travelogue (2016) and heart/noise onHellOsquare Recordings.

Alister has established creative collaborative relationships with internationally recognised improvisers in Japan, Scotland, Sweden and the US. Since 2008, he has toured and performed with acclaimed Japanese pianist/composer, Satoko Fujii sharing a double bill at Tokyo International Jazz Festival 2008 – Alister Spence Trio and Satoko’s ensemble Mah Doh Quartet. At this time Fujii also set up the first Fujii/Spence duo piano concerts. Since then, they have revisited the duo format on several occasions, including a second Japanese tour in 2016 and another in 2017, during which intelsat was recorded with Spence on Fender Rhodes electric piano, preparations and effects and Fujii on piano.

In 2017, they formed a new project Kira Kira with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. Kira Kira’s first performance was at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2017 with Tony Buck on drums. Their debut album Bright Force (Libra Records) was recorded at Knuttelhouse in Tokyo in September 2017, featuring extraordinary Japanese drummer Ittetsu Takemura. Bright Force has received consistently strong reviews. Their second album Kira Kira Live (2024) features Japanese drumming force Tatsuya Yoshida. Kira Kira has toured in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, US, Europe, UK.

Alister has also performed with the Satoko Fujii Orchestras (Nagoya, Kobe, Tokyo) and teamed up with the Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe to record the album, Imagine Meeting You Here - a five -part composition for improvising orchestra by Alister Spence. Released in 2019 on Alister Spence Music, Dustin Krcatovich said in DownBeat ‘…composer Alister Spence takes full advantage of the possibilities afforded by pianist Satoko Fujii's improvising big band, Orchestra Kobe, and the results are pretty exhilarating.’

Other collaborations include releasing two improvised duo recordings with Scottish saxophonist, Raymond MacDonald, Sound Hotel (ASM006 2018) and Stepping Between the Shadows (Rufus Records 2013); and Everything Here is Possible (ASM002 2014) with US pianist Myra Melford, winning the APRA/AMCOS Art Music Award for Excellence in Jazz 2014.

Alister was co-leader/composer with the internationally acclaimed group Clarion Fracture Zone for 15 years from 1990 – 2005. He is also a founding member of Wanderlust and a long-standing member of The Australian Art Orchestra (AAO).

Over the years he has played with many fine musicians including Satoko Fujii (Japan), Michiyo Yagi (Japan), Barre Phillips (US), Myra Melford (US), Mark Helias (US), Andy Sheppard (UK), Joe Williamson (SWE), Jim O’Rourke (Japan), Raymond MacDonald (Glasgow), Karraikudi Mani (IND) and from Australia - Bernie McGann, Sandy Evans, Chris Abrahams, Don Burrows, Dale Barlow, Peter O’Mara, Tony Buck, Phillip Slater, Paul Capsis, Archie Roach and Ed Kuepper (The Laughing Clowns).

Alister has toured extensively in Europe, Asia and Canada and has performed radio broadcasts for ABC (Australia), BBC (UK), and WDR (Germany). His playing is featured on more than 40 CDs, many of which have either won or been nominated for Australian Record Industry (ARIA) Awards.

His talents as a composer are well known in Australia. Alister has been commissioned to write for The Australian Art Orchestra and Claire Edwardes/Amy Dixon Duo. In 2010, The Australian Art Orchestra premiered his first major work, Soak, a suite in 4 movements, at the Melbourne International Arts Festival.

Alister’s work is also featured on Passion (The Australian Art Orchestra-ABC Classics) and Bernie McGann’s 2001 ARIA winning CD Bundeena.

 FILM

Alister also composes music for film and theatre. He has written soundtracks for acclaimed directors, Ivan Sen (‘Beneath Clouds’) nominated for Best Score at The Film Critics Awards, and the Australian Film Industry Awards 2002; Tom Zubrycki (‘Molly and Mobarek’), Allan Collins (‘Dhakiyarr Versus the King’, ‘Spirit Stones’) and Tom Murray (‘Dhakiyarr Versus the King’, ‘In My Father’s Country’).

THEATRE

Theatre credits include the sound design for ‘Angela’s Kitchen’, featuring Paul Capsis directed by Julian Meyrick (2010), ‘Winterreise, A Winter’s Journey’, directed by Matthew Lutton (2011) and ‘I Love Todd Sampson’, directed by Michelle St Anne, The Living Room Theatre (2013).

Alister is a Doctor of Philosophy at University of NSW where he is an Honorary Lecturer in Music.