Jazz pianist, composer, arranger, producer, Yamaha® artist and Grammy® winner Laurence Hobgood has enjoyed a 30+year career. Highlights include: three consecutive Fellowships to the Aspen Music Festival (1990, '91, '92), being chosen as a 1995 Chicagoan of the Year in the Arts, a 2003 Deems Taylor Award given by ASCAP for the year’s out- standing music journalism, multiple Grammy® nominations and a 2010 Grammy® Award. He's played at many of the world’s most prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the White House, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Tanglewood, Hollywood Bowl, and the Sydney Opera House.
For almost 20 years he served as pianist/arranger/collaborator/co-producer for singer Kurt Elling during which time he wrote virtually all of the material on Elling's first ten albums, all of which received Grammy® nominations.
His 2009 CD, “When The Heart Dances”, featured duets with iconic bassist Charlie Haden.
His "Christmas" CD was chosen by both the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune as one of the best Holiday CDs of 2013.
He’s currently involved in an ongoing recording/performance project, "Poemjazz", with 3-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky; their second CD, "House Hour", was released in 2015.
His 2016 trio CD, "Honor Thy Fathers", features bassist John Patitucci and drummer Kendrick Scott. JazzTimes' Michael West praised the work, saying:
"It’s easy to hear similarities between Laurence Hobgood’s piano and that of Brad Mehldau . . . The album is a sublime statement—perhaps the first of 2016."
Laurence's newest project is called “t e s s e t e r r a"; Hobgood combines his love of jazz trio and writing for string quartet with uplifting arrangements of what he calls the "expanded songbook" -- repertoire ranging from Cole Porter to Crosby Stills & Nash, Paul McCartney to Hoagie Carmichael, Sting to Chopin.
The writing embodies the signature style of composing and arranging Hobgood has be- come known for: imaginatively innovative yet fun and thoroughly accessible to audiences. He's reunited with the celebrated, New York-based string quartet ETHEL and at the core lies the ebullient playing of his trio which features Jared Schonig on drums and Matthew Clohesy on bass.
“t e s s e t e r r a” will be released in March of 2019 on UK-based Ubuntu Records.
James Robbins, of Hackensack New Jersey, is a well seasoned bassist, educator and composer in the New York jazz community. At a young age had the honor and privilege to attend, what at the time was, Wachovia Jazz For Teens in Newark New Jersey though NJPAC 2005-2008. There in his coming up, James was taught by some of the greatest living jazz musicians of all time. James after high school, attended Berklee college of music in Boston from 2008-2011. Soon after leaving Boston, James returned to New York to be a full time gigging bassist. During the years of 2013-2018, James took up an administrative role in Paris at the American School of Modern Music as the assistant director. Through the years James has been part of many projects and has played with and contributed to projects spanning all genres of music. Notable names such as Kenny Werner, Roy Hargrove, Eric Lewis, Frank Lacey, Billy Taylor, Sheila Jordan, and projects like Thankyou Scientist just to name a few. James has put out his own music off the Freshsound new talent label and plans on recording and releasing much more in the future.
Karl Latham’s career has spanned the globe performing, recording with and producing with Grammy Award winning artists, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members and multitude of internationally acclaimed musicians. Including: Ali Ryerson; The Bernie Worrell Orchestra; Jerry Vivino; Andy Snitzer; Mark Egan; Johnny Winter; The Shirelles (Music Director); John Lee Quartet; The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars; The Fantasy Band; Howard Paul with Laurence Hobgood, Anat Cohen and Tom Scott; and has co led 2016 BMW World Jazz Award nominated “Constellations” with Mark Egan and Ryan Carniaux and Don Braden/Karl Latham Big Fun(K). Karl toured Europe extensively for nearly 25 years in the groups of Wolfgang Lackerschmid and Johannes Mossinger. Karl has subbed on the Broadway productions of “Bring It On”, “Hamilton”, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”, and “Ain’t Too Proud”.
Seatings at 6:15 and 8:35 with performances beginning about 45 minutes after seating times. No music charge, $40 food & drink minimum per person. Reservations required