t e s s e t e r r a: nuanced and exquisite arrangements of the expanded songbook -
from Cole Porter to Sting, Hoagy Carmichael to Paul McCartney,
Chopin to Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Imaginatively innovative and melodically memorable. More
Deep and rich musicality... like nothing I've heard in decades.
DANIEL J. LEVITIN, AUTHOR THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC

CD Release Concert at the Rubin
Laurence Hobgood
presents
t e s s e t e r r a
Jazz Trio with String Quartet
on the ubuntu music label
The Rubin Museum Of Art
Thursday, April 25, 2019 7:00 pm
Tickets: $35 / $75 VIP seating + CD
Reception following the performance
featuring
The Laurence Hobgood Trio
Laurence Hobgood, piano
Matt Clohesy, bass; Jared Schonig, drums
and
The Solar String Quartet
Leonor Falcon and Tomoko Omura, violin;
Jen Herman, viola; Brian Sanders, cello
Tickets
Featuring

The Laurence Hobgood Trio
LAURENCE HOBGOOD, PIANO; MATTHEW CLOHESY, BASS; JARED SCHONIG, DRUMS

The Solar String Quartet
Leonor Falcon and Tomoko Omura, violin; Jen Herman, viola; and Brian Sanders, cello.

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 embraced the endeavor, judging by the crescendo of ovations it received. Chicago Tribune
-
Wichita Lineman 11:240:00/11:24
-
Georgia On My Mind 10:290:00/10:29
-
All Of You 6:480:00/6:48
-
Every Little Thing 6:270:00/6:27

4.5 stars
By ROGER FARBEY
"Jazz with strings" is a phrase that sometimes invokes a heart-sink feeling amongst reviewers. Happily this is not one of those occasions. Laurence Hobgood has released a half dozen records under his own name... Hobgood is a true virtuoso who began formal training on the piano from the age of six. In addition to his jazz trio, his other accompanists here, the string quartet ETHEL, are no strangers to popular, jazz and contemporary music and have recorded or performed with the likes of Ornette Coleman, Sheryl Crow and Roger Daltrey to name just a few.
The linear string introduction to "Wichita Lineman" seems singularly appropriate given the melancholic nature of the song. The relaxed trio approach to the melody backed by the string quartet is a masterpiece in understatement, but as the piece evolves it transmutes into a florid exposition of the tune. As with other numbers on the album, Hobgood's playing oscillates seamlessly between rubato and strict tempo on tunes like Paul McCartney's timeless "Blackbird," but, crucially, always integrates feelings of space and serenity. Crosby Stills and Nash's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" reflects the multi-layered original but also incorporates a spectacular solo and a joyous ensemble rendition of the most famous later section of the tune. Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" is given an sumptuous, bluesy treatment, the string quartet providing an almost choir-like backing, first played arco then with delicate pizzicato, returning to bowing and finally ending with a memorably plangent piano coda. From its initial statement of the familiar melody to "We Shall Overcome," the piece morphs into a dreamy string-powered reverie
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