“Christmas with the Laurence Hobgood Trio" at the Sound Conservatory -- December 1.
Sunday, December 1, 6:30 p.m.
Sound Conservatory, 504 17th Street, Moline IL
Performing a wonderful repertoire of jazz favorites and seasonal classics, three acclaimed artists take the stage at Moline's Sound Conservatory on December 1, the group behind Christmas with the Laurence Hobgood Trio lauded by the Chicago Tribune for delivering “power without noise, energy without haste, drama without overstatement.”
Contemporary pianist, composer, producer, educator, multiple Grammy Award nominee, and 2010 Grammy winner Hobgood has enjoyed a multi-faceted and dynamic career. Recognized for his dazzling piano technique and signature composing and arranging styles, he has been transporting audiences both at home and abroad for more than 30 years. In 2003, Hobgood received ASCAP's Deems Taylor Award, given for outstanding music journalism, for his article “The Art of the Trio” in JazzTimes magazine, and Hobgood’s 2013 release Christmas was chosen by both the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune as one of the top holiday CDs of the year. In the Times, Nate Chinen called the release a “beautifully recorded album,” while the Tribune’s Howard Reich asked, “Can overplayed holiday repertoire be transformed into art? It can when Hobgood is at work, the pianist turning in one of the most appealing recordings of an already distinguished career with Christmas."
Joining Hobgood in his trio is Australian bassist Matt Clohesy, who left his hometown of Melbourne for the United States in 2001, and has since gained recognition as an acoustic and electric bassist who has toured and recorded with such notable band leaders as Seamus Blake, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Geoffrey Keezer, Eric Reed, Kevin Hays, and Ingrid Jensen. And rounding out the ensemble is drummer, composer, and bandleader Jared Schonig, a Carnegie Hall veteran who has toured and/or recorded with Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Donny McCaslin, and currently performs with the vocal super-group Duchess.
In 2016, Hobgood launched The Laurence Hobgood Trio with the album Honor Thy Fathers, a musical tribute not only to Hobgood’s own father, but to all of the musicians who have inspired him. In his Downbeat review, Howard Mandel wrote, "Overall the ambiance is warm, dark and reflective, which is not to discount Hobgood's strategically big, broad voicings, streaming glissandi and consistently perfect articulation." Michael J. West of JazzTimes called the album "a sublime statement.” Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich, in reviewing a concert performance, raved, "Just as Honor Thy Fathers can be considered Hobgood's strongest recording to date, this band may provide his best musical forum yet."
Christmas with the Laurence Hobgood Trio will be performed in Moline on December 1, admission to the 6:30 p.m. concert event is $15-120, and more information and tickets are available by visiting SoundConservatory.com.
