I’m very excited about this collaboration with my old friend, Dave Albert.

Special guest vocalist: Amy Brothers

Listen to samples here:

Release party in Raleigh, NC, Friday, April 20th at the Oliver Twist Lounge, 8111-137 Creedmore Rd., Raleigh/ 919-844-4426/ Show time: 7:00 pm.

Release party in Elizabeth City, NC, Saturday, April 21st at Montero’s, 414 McArthur Dr., Elizabeth City/ 252-331-1067/ Show time: 7:00 pm.

Please join us for a fun night of good music, meet old friends and make new ones.

The dream of two friends is coming true…

I’m very happy about the Albert-Hobbs Big Band project. Almost all the recording is done and I will send the tracks off to be mixed later this week…. feels good. This has been a dream come true for me and Dave Albert (who’s been my best friend since 7th grade, we were members of the NHS band together, co-founders of the River City Jazz Ensemble, roommates at Berklee and general partners in crime for many years). We’re really excited about the project, which features Albert on drums and me on piano and keyboards. The album is all original music and arrangements and covers a lot of styles from Bossa, Latin, Swing, Bebop and Funk.

We’ve been fortunate enough to record together with some of the best musicians in Sweden; Wojtek Goral, Peter Getz, Staffan Finden, Patrik Skogh, Mikael Berg Andersson, Andy Pfeiler, Jan Adefelt and Tom Beimel. The album will be mixed by Marcus Black at Detona Studios in Stockholm.

Plans are underway for release parties/concerts in Raleigh and Elizabeth City in April. Please check back for dates, venues and times.

2010 was a year of revelations. I released my new album, SECOND GLANCES,  in October in my hometown of Elizabeth City, NC and was pleased to see the tremendous support I received from both old and new friends and family (especially my cousin, Gary Hobbs, and my sister, Denise Hobbs Brothers). It was a fantastic experience! SECOND GLANCES is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bhobbs and also available for download on iTunes and other sites. Once again a big THANK YOU to everyone who came to the release party and bought the CD!

Another important event was a showcase for invited guests to listen to excerpts from my musical, THE INDEPENDENT MAN, based on the life and writings of Elizabeth City newspaper editor, W.O. Saunders. The response was incredible and the whole night was a wonderful experience. I would like to give special thanks to these people who donated to the cause of helping me finish the musical:

Phyllis Bosomworth

Gary Hobbs

George & Blair Jackson

Patsy & Heywood Houtz

Marian W. Stokes

Lucien & Debbie Morrisette

Signe Albertson

I was also very lucky to get to talk to Maxine Sweeney (who at one time was W.O.’s secretary), and with Miss Emily White, who put me in contact with W.O.’s grandaughter, Byrd Bland Smith Barnes, who was very enthusiastic about the project.

Special thanks also goes out to Ray Meiggs, director of Arts of the Albemarle, and to Robert Kelly-Goss of the Daily Advance for their enthusiasm and support for this project.

I hope you’ll all be happy to know that the first draft of Act 1 is now completed and I am working on recording the score!

If 2010 was a year of revelations I think 2011 will be a year of changes. I’m looking forward to finishing the musical and am hoping for an opening in Elizabeth City.

My old friend and drummer, David Albert and I have already started on our first recording project together; an album of original big band charts. We formed our own jazz band when we were both 16 so I think it’s about time we recorded something together. “Albert” has been a great friend and always supported me in my writing. And he played on and recorded some of my earliest demos. I’m really looking forward to our album coming out sometime in 2011…

I have plans for another solo album, this time a vocal album of my songs. And I’m also working on finishing the new album by Andreas Aleman.

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!

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

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

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.

Lots of things to do this year: finish the recording of the musical, script revisions, hopefully an album or two of new material… who knows?

Please keep in touch and if you’re interested in W.O. Saunders please check out the page here about the musical based on his life. My goal for this year is to get interest and funding to give the musical a staged reading or a workshop performance. If you would like to read the script or listen to the rough score please contact me.

Best,

Brian

SPOTIFY

You can also buy the album here:

CANDLE IN THE WINDOW

The new edition of my CD feature on Nordic Wellbeing, Nordic Soundscapes, is now posted. This issue has features on

Dotty Blue

Andreas Aleman

and

yours truly!

Check it out, sign up for the newsletter and you have a chance to win free CDs. Also, all newsletter subscribers will get a link and password for free downloads.

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