Jonathan Noyce


Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce is an English musician. He plays electric bass instruments and is primarily known as a member of British rock group Jethro Tull, with whom he toured and recorded as a member from 1995 until 2007. Noyce is also known for his long association with guitarist Gary Moore.

Early life and education

Noyce was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. His father, Peter, was choirmaster and assistant organist at Lichfield Cathedral, and Jane, his mother, has been a town planner. Aged about 17 he played classical percussion, snare drums, timpani and xylophones in symphony orchestras. Later on he tried a number of other musical instruments such as piano, guitar and trumpet. His first paid gig with the bass was at the age of 18. He is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Career

Early career

Noyce enjoyed his first success with the British pop group Take That, for whom he supplied bass in the studio in 1993.
In 1995, Noyce was asked to play on The Meeting, Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre's solo album. Tull frontman Ian Anderson subsequently asked Noyce to join him on his world tour later that year. A few months later Dave Pegg announced his retirement from Jethro Tull. Noyce joined the band in August 1995. In his own words he plays 'stealth bass': "you can't hear it, but you feel it."
Outside of Jethro Tull, Noyce had a long establishment with guitarist Gary Moore, playing with him on his Old New Ballads Blues CD, the DVD recording of the concert to commemorate the life of Phil Lynott, One Night in Dublin, which featured members of Thin Lizzy, and the release of Moore's final recorded show Live at Montreux 2010.
In 2007 Noyce joined the UK band Archive.
In 2010 Noyce re-united with Gary Moore for his Summer of Rock shows throughout Europe. This band also included drummer and friend Darrin Mooney and, following a 21-year hiatus, keyboard and guitar player Neil Carter. This Celtic-Rock project came to an end with the sudden death of Moore on 6 February 2011.

Ongoing career

In 2010 Noyce had commercial successes with the release of French-Canadian Mylène Farmer's album Bleu Noir, for which he supplied all the bass guitar tracks. He played for Love Amongst Ruin's debut gig at Eurosonic Festival in January 2010.
In 2012 Noyce joined his old Jethro Tull bandmate Martin Barre for live shows across Europe.
In 2013 Noyce played on Martin Barre's solo album Away With Words. The same year he had been joined Sixto Rodriguez for a run of shows that included the Montreux Jazz Festival and Glastonbury Festival.
In 2014 Noyce joined the Gentle Giant offshoot band Three Friends, featuring former members Gary Green and Malcolm Mortimore. Other work includes playing on the soundtracks to the films I Am Ali and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the later with Daniel Pemberton. Archive released a film, Axiom, and returned to Montreux Jazz Festival to perform the soundtrack live.
In 2015 Archive's album Restriction features Noyce on bass guitars.
In 2016 Noyce played bass on the soundtrack of the film by Guy Ritchie. He also played on the album The False Foundation.
In 2019, he played bass on concerts 50 years of Jethro Tull together with Martin Barre and Clive Bunker at RoSfest. He can be heard on the soundtrack of the film Yesterday.

Instruments and gear

Noyce's bass guitars have included a 1960 Fender Precision, a Music Man StingRay and a custom-made Wal.
He described the bass guitar as his bands "secret weapon", due to its ability to provide rhythm as well as melody.
His pedalboard equipment typically includes Radial JDV and JDI DI units for sessions and a Bassbone preamplifier for live performances.
He uses the Big Cheese fuzzbox from Lovetone.
He plays Minimoog and Moog Bass.