THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE QUESTIONNAIRE: Mark Lockett

Although drummer/composer Mark Lockett has lived in Melbourne for the past decade, he still feels the draw of his homeland and – with the release of his debut album Sneaking Out After Midnight on the Rattle Jazz imprint – he is coming back to New Zealand with his hot band for a few shows.

Recorded in New York with saxophonist Joel Frahm and bassist Orlando Le Fleming, the album betrays some classic influences (Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk among them). Lockett isn't without humour either, among the titles are Loose Motion, Now's Not the Time, Mr Pickles, Good Day For a Dog and Tennis Elbow.

Time for him then to answer our Famous Elsewhere Questionnaire.

The first piece of music which really affected you was . . .

Watching Jan Rutherford recording with her quartet at TVNZ Avalon Studios for Jazz Scene in 1985.

Your first (possibly embarrassing) role models in music were . . .

Men At Work

Lennon or Jagger, Ramones or Nirvana, Madonna or Gaga, Jacko or Jay-Z?

Jagger, Nirvana, Gaga, Jacko

If music was denied you, your other career choice would be . . .

A lion tamer

The three songs (yours, or by others) you would love everyone to hear are . . .

Rhythmining (Monk), Blues Connotation (Coleman), Evidence (Monk)

Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia at home?

Only memories

The best book on music or musicians you have read is . . .

The Touring Musician

If you could get on stage with anyone it would be . . . (And you would play?)

Monk and I would dance

The three films you'd insist anybody watch because they might understand you better are . . .

Goodbye Pork Pie, The World's Fastest Indian, ET

The last CD or vinyl album you bought was . . . (And your most recent downloads include . . .)

Seven by Tim Hopkins

One song, royalties for life, never have to work again. The song by anyone, yourself included, which wouldn't embarrass you in that case would be . . .

Billie Jean by Michael Jackson because this tune has such a fat groove

The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .

Anything by Andy Warhol

You are allowed just one tattoo, and it is of . . .

Coltrane with his hand on his chin

David Bowie sang, “Five years, that's all we've got . . .” You would spend them where, doing . . .

In my basement practicing

And finally, in the nature of press conferences in Japan, “Can you tell me please why this is your best album ever?”

Because I wrote some tunes and had two of the best musicians in the world to jam out with in a studio and a fantastic engineer who got us a wicked sound. I smile every time I listen to what these masters did with my music on that August day.