"Electrifying."
HOWARD REICH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"One of the finest pianists out there. Period."
JAZZ TIMES
"Piano virtuoso."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Quotes
Bio | Discography | Arranging | Producing | Commissions | Quotes
LAURENCE HOBGOOD
The fluidity, tonal sheen and narrative arc of Hobgood’s pianism long has set him apart from contemporaries, his work only deepening through the decades.
HOWARD REICH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Laurence Hobgood, pretty much the king of modern Songbook interpretation.
JAZZIZ MAGAZINE
Perpetual inventiveness.
HOWARD REICH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Glorious joie de vivre.
MICHAEL J. WEST, THE WASHINGTON POST
One of the true joys of music journalism is receiving that unexpected package,
containing an artist I was unfamiliar with that blows my mind. Enter Laurence Hobgood.
THE HUFFINGTON POST
Laurence Hobgood has built a formidable reputation as a double-threat keyboard virtuoso and Grammy-winning arranger.
HOWARD REICH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
There's a wonderful, relaxed sympathy between Hobgood and Haden —
When you're this good you don't have to shout about it.
JAZZWISE (UK)
The pairing of Hobgood and Haden is an inspired one. The two have a synergy
that is oak-organic and diamond-hard.
ALLABOUTJAZZ.COM
One of the finest pianists out there. Period.
JAZZ TIMES
Welcome to a new piano star.
PHIL JOHNSON, THE INDEPENDENT (UK)
Power without noise, energy without haste, drama without overstatement.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Precise musical vision.
THE AGE (AUSTRALIA)
Electrifying.
HOWARD REICH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Hobgood... has crafted deeply considered arrangements, no two alike, each providing multiple twists and turns… The caliber and finesse of his writing were instantly apparent... In all of this music, Hobgood merged accessibility and sophistication, intertwining jazz, pop and classical idioms. The packed house at the Green Mill embraced the endeavor, judging by the crescendo of ovations it received.
HOWARD REICH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
t e s s e t e r r a
Perhaps the most impressive part of the evening was the connection and sense of play that Rhiannon and Hobgood displayed and embodied every second of the night...The natural give and take between these two is palpable.
NATE HALL, PICTURE THIS POST
Laurence Hobgood & Rhiannon at Winters Jazz
Hobgood obviously embraced his leadership role, playfully interacting with the audience and providing insight between each composition. Whatever he ends up doing next with his pen and piano, it will no doubt be swinging. And he’ll have plenty of fans anxiously awaiting to hear his future projects.
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
Laurence Hobgood quintet w/ Ernie Watts, sax
and Marquis Hill, trumpet
These brilliant musicians lifted the performance out of the realm of cabaret and into jazz...
STEPHEN HOLDEN, NEW YORK TIMES
CD release with Barb Jungr
The most important takeaway from this occasion, though, was not so much the persuasiveness of Hobgood's pianism or the musicality of his arrangements, which are well-known, but the alacrity of this trio. Just as Honor Thy Fathers can be considered Hobgood's strongest recording to date, this band may provide his best musical forum yet, opening a major new chapter in his career.
HOWARD REICH, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Laurence Hobgood Trio