Brian Hobbs Music

Archive for 2010

Major thanks to everyone who came out to see me perform at the City Wine Sellar and Logan Raye’s in Elizabeth City last month! I had a great time and it was wonderful to see so many old friends and familar faces and also to make some new friends. Again, big thanks to my sister, Denise Brothers, and my cousin, Gary Hobbs, for setting everything up and for being my biggest supporters.

If you weren’t able to attend and would still like to get the CD, it’s available in Elizabeth City at the Carolina House and at the Arts of the Albemarle at 516 E. Main St.

If you don’t live in EC and would like to get the CD you can order it from CDBABY.

If you already have the CD please visit CDBABY and write a comment telling me what you think. I appreciate it!

NEW ALBUM BY BRIAN HOBBS

Release party/concert on Saturday October 9

 SECOND GLANCES by Brian Hobbs

Brian Hobbs’ new album, SECOND GLANCES will be released on Saturday October 9. A release party/concert will be held at City Wine Sellar in Elizabeth City NC. Brian will be playing selections from the album and the album will be available to buy at a special price of $15.

 LISTEN TO A PREVIEW HERE:

RELEASE PARTY

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear a great live band featuring Brian on keyboards, David Albert on drums, Wellington Gordon on bass, Tim Smith on saxophone/flute, Baron Tymas on guitar and Dennis Boyce helping out on second keyboard.

 PLACE: City Wine Sellar, 102 North Water Street, Elizabeth City

DATE: Saturday, October 9

TIME: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

ADMISSION: Free

Brian is an Elizabeth City native who now resides in Stockholm, Sweden. As a songwriter, he has had songs recorded by artists in Japan, Sweden, China, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Spain, South Africa, Australia, the Phillipines, Iceland and Great Britain. He is the president and owner of Eidolon Productions, an independent record label in Stockholm, Sweden. This is his third solo album. He is also currently working on a musical based on the life and writings of Elizabeth City newspaper editor, W.O. Saunders.  Read more »

Wellington Gordon attended college at Middle Tennessee State University and received a B.S. in Recording Industry Management in 1999. He has played professionally for over 15 years. He received a BM in Jazz Studies in 2007 and his M.M. at Western Carolina University where he studied bass and commercial and electronic music in 2009. Wellington is currently visiting professor for ECSU’s recording technology studies program. Read more »

David Saleeba Albert, a native of Noblesville, Indiana, started his musical career in Elizabeth City, North Carolina under the direction of Scott C. Callaway.  He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts during which time he was a studio drummer. He finished his Music Education Degree at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC and was Band Director of the NHS Band In Elizabeth City, NC. He is currently the band director and chairs the Arts Department of Leesville Road High School in Raleigh.  Mr. Albert has mentored with Buddy Rich and performed with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra as well as with Butch Miles, Joe Ascione, Milt Hinton, Don Menza, Buddy Baker, Vincent Herring and Tommy Newsome.  Mr. Albert is a student of the former “Tonight Show” drummer Ed Shaughnessy.

Tim Smith’s inspirational saxophone, positive lyrics and expressive voice have been heard from Compiegne, France to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and from Sarotov, Russia to the Carolinas. This phenomenal musician and powerful songwriter earned a Bachelors Degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance from Oberlin Conservatory. Tim Smith moved on to create an impressive musical performance resume. He has been an integral part of The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Hobex, Jazz Squad, The SoulSearchers, Sol and Funk Root, Countdown Quartet , Orquesta GarDel, Mr. Coffee and The Creamers, The Beast and the Raleigh Jazz Orchestra; touring nationally and internationally. He has also had television appearances on Conan O’Brian, Regis & Kathy Lee, Sesame Street, and Raleigh NC’s own Public TV.Read more »

Washington D.C native Baron Tymas is an Associate Professor of Music and Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, USA.  At NCCU, he teaches guitar, Jazz Theory, Ear Training, Jazz Combo, Graduate Jazz Composition and Music Technology courses. During his career as a performer and educator, Tymas has been privileged to play with many notable artists, such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Bobby Broom,  Antonio Hart, Rene Marie, Freddie Cole, Grady Tate, Jason Marsalis, Tom Browne, Dick Oatts, Ingrid Jensen and many others. Tymas is a recipient of  the North Carolina Arts Council Jazz Composer Fellowship Award. Tymas has released two CDs as a leader, on his tymasmusic label: Insight at Midnight (2009) and Blues for the Tribe (2006). Read more »

Dennis Boyce has been playing live piano music for more than twenty years in a variety of venues, including malls, churches and conference events. While serving as the Minister of Music at First Assembly of God in Gastonia, NC, he continues to provide live music for wedding receptions, parties, coffee bars, restaurants, retail centers and special events. (He’ll play your stadium event if necessary.) His set list will always include the soft jazz found in songs like “Unforgettable” or “At Last” but you will probably hear some Bruce Hornsby, Billy Preston or gospel in the mix as well. Not only does he play, but if it is appropriate, he will dust off his baritone pipes and sing a little while accompanying himself on the keys

I’ve been working all summer on my new instrumental album, “Second Glances”. With this album I’ve gotten fantastic help from some of the most outstanding musicians in Sweden including Tom Beimel on bass, Wojtek Goral on saxophone/flute, Paul Pesonen on guitar and Pat Wood on trumpet/flugelhorn. One track features an electric violin solo by my old songwriting buddy, Derrik Jordan. I even have my oldest and dearest friend, David Albert, guesting on drums for one track (it was so much fun we have a whole album planned together for 2011…. but that’s another story).

With “Second Glances”, I’ve taken a look back at songs that I’ve written over the last 30 years or so that never really saw the light of day, or were never recorded. It’s been a great experience! I’m tentatively planning a release/listening party back in my hometown of Elizabeth City, NC… where it all started… for early October (more on that once things are finalized).

I hope to put up a few teasers from the album over the next few weeks so please check back, and please join me on Facebook

Brian

I’m currently working on an instrumental album called “SECOND GLANCES”. As a songwriter for other artists you sometimes never have, or take, the time to develop your own material. After my “wake-up call” (see previous post) I decided to focus on some of the music that I’ve written over the years that has never had a chance to see the light of day. SECOND GLANCES is an album that covers my entire songwriting journey; the earliest song on the album is from 1977 and includes stuff I’ve written from then up to now. It’s been fun to look back on these songs and try to dress them up in a new way. I have always been heavily influenced by Brazilian music so the album will contain some Bossa Novas as well as some jazz. No set release date yet…. still laying down the tracks… but I hope for a release in 2010.

You can hear one song from the album, SPRING SONG, and watch a video I shot near my home in Stockholm. 

To listen, click here.

Last month I underwent surgery for the first time in my life to remove a tumor, and as it turned out, my entire thyroid.  Even though I was assured it was not life-threatening… you can’t stop asking yourself- “is this the end of my run?” I was lucky. It wasn’t. Plus I probably feel better now that I’ve adjusted to the hormone treatment. So now I’m trying to get started on all those projects I had put aside; you know the usual excuses…. the projects I’ll do when I have more money, when I don’t have as much work, once the kids graduate, etc.

But now I’ve decided to go forward and do it. We’ve all been affected by someone dying of cancer or some unexpected accident, and to be honest, there are no guarantees… we’ve been given this life as a gift and we need to do something with it. I hope I can live up to my promise to LIVE not just exist. For me, that means expressing myself musically and in words and by enjoying the gift of life and sharing it with others. I am thankful for all my friends and family… and even though we don’t agree on everything (in some cases, nothing) I still love you all.

So… the rest of this year I’ll be working on trying to fulfil my promise and finish all those projects and also live life in the process. I hope all of you don’t wait until it’s too late to follow your dreams… and they don’t always lead you where you think they will, but if we follow, I think our dreams will eventually lead us to the right place.

Coming soon: An Independent Man- the musical, Second Glances (an instrumental album of songs I’ve written between 1978 and now), a singer-songwriter album and hopefully more short stories and if I can pull it out of me, a novel. OK, now I’ve said it and it’s out there in cyberspace- I have to do it.