Steve Hobbs - Spring Cycle

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:43
Size: 146,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Blued Swings
(8:22)  2. Spring Cycle
(6:08)  3. Rough And Ready
(6:35)  4. Para Mis Padres
(5:41)  5. On The Street Where You Live
(5:34)  6. Jean
(5:01)  7. Mr. P.C.
(8:28)  8. Loon Lake
(5:52)  9. Crosswinds
(5:31) 10. Marionettes

Who says universities create an ivory tower mentality? Educator and vibes master Steve Hobbs has put out a delectably enjoyable CD of accessible, yet thought-provoking music. Employing a front line of Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Dave Valentin (flute), and Bob Malach (tenor), his lighter than air thematic statements serve as a perfect foil to the percussive underpinnings of Hobbs and pianist Bill O'Connell. All of Hobbs' compositions are catchy, memorable, and thoroughly enjoyable. The modal "Blued Swings," with its sophisticated interplay between Valentin and Harrell, is breezy. The lithe and lively melody line of "Spring Cycle" will stay in your mind long after the CD is over. Ditto for "Para Mis Padres," with its lovely and breathy flute melody. The originals by O'Connell are just as well crafted, coherently weaving in the solos as if they were part of the composition. The driving "Crosswinds," strutting "Marionettes," and rhythm-shifting "Loon Lake" all fit into the mainstream category, with excellently defined solos provided by Harrell and Malach. The only potential indulgence regarding this record relates to the listener, who may want to put it on over and over. ~ George Harris https://www.allaboutjazz.com/spring-cycle-steve-hobbs-random-chance-records-review-by-george-harris.php

Personnel: Steve Hobbs: vibraphone; Tom Harrell: trumpet, flugelhorn; Bob Malach: tenor saxophone; Dave Valentin: flute; Bill O'Connell: piano; Peter Washington: bass; John Riley: drums; Steve Berrios: percussion.

Spring Cycle

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Steve Hobbs - Second Encounter

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:01
Size: 151.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:31] 1. La Vie En Rose
[5:23] 2. Daahoud
[8:03] 3. The Amazing Spiderman
[5:49] 4. Airegin
[3:41] 5. Waiting For Julie Ann
[7:57] 6. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
[5:41] 7. Bossa De Buzios
[8:21] 8. You Are Too Beautiful
[5:31] 9. Move
[9:58] 10. Blues For A Way Of Life

Bass – Peter Washington; Drums – Victor Lewis; Piano – Kenny Barron; Vibraphone [Vibes], Marimba – Steve Hobbs.

Although he has not become world-renowned yet, Steve Hobbs in the 1990s and the present period has been one of the top vibraphonists in jazz. Joined by an impeccable rhythm section (pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Victor Lewis), Hobbs performs a well-rounded set of standards and originals. Among the high points are the opening thoughtful version of "La Vie en Rose," cooking renditions of "Airegin" and "Move," Hobbs' "Bossa de Buzios," and the closing "Blues for a Way of Life." In reality, all ten songs work well, featuring close interplay between Hobbs and Barron, occasional solos from Washington, and subtle support by Washington and Lewis. It is surprising that it took six years for this material to be released, but it was worth the wait. ~Scott Yanow

Second Encounter mc
Second Encounter zippy

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Steve Hobbs - Tribute To Bobby

Size: 171,9 MB
Time: 74:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Craving Phenomenon (6:17)
02. Into The Storm (6:22)
03. Besame Mucho (6:02)
04. New Creation (5:31)
05. Tres Vias (5:46)
06. Millie (7:35)
07. Thelonious Funk (5:51)
08. The Road To Happy Destiny (6:04)
09. Blowing In The Wind (6:06)
10. El Sueno De Horace Silver (5:14)
11. In From The Storm (4:45)
12. Let's Go To Abaco! (5:18)
13. Where Or When (3:39)

Steve Hobbs's third CD featuring this quartet is studded with lively compositions, mostly written by him. The paradoxically breezy opener (considering the dark derivation of its title) "The Craving Phenomenon" is an example of this lightness of touch. Hobbs is heard here on marimba as he is on the next track "Into The Storm," a labyrinthine piece played at a helter skelter speed, mostly in 5/4. The standard "Besame Mucho" brings the pace down a little and there's a gripping piano solo from Bill O'Connell. There's a brief self-contained little coda too.

An early Coltrane feel haunts "New Creation" and Adam Kolker's muscular tenor sax certainly adds credence to this groove. "Tres Vias," so named because of its three sections, evinces an innate charm, Hobbs's angular marimba to the fore, is followed by Kolker on soprano and lastly O'Connell on piano. The rock-influenced "Thelonius Funk" shares some similarities with mid-period Frank Zappa when the late iconoclast, experimenting with more complex time signatures employed Ruth Underwood on marimba to great effect. "The Road To Happy Destiny" is an upbeat gospel sounding tune featuring three guest vocalists and replete with a scat solo from Marvin Thorne is followed by a brisk vibes solo from Hobbs. Bob Dylan's "Blowing In The Wind" is afforded a gently respectful treatment with Hobbs featured again on vibes.

"El Sueno De Horace Silver" ("The Dream Of Horace Silver") is a Latin-tinged homage to the great man with some restrained hard bop overtones. "In From The Storm," the second and final track to feature the guest vocalists, is a lush bossa nova with Hobbs again on vibes. The penultimate number is a calypso, "Let's Go To Abaco!" and the set concludes with the Rodgers and Hart song "Where Or When" played at a fairly fast tempo. As its title suggests, this CD is a paean to the late, great vibraphone virtuoso Bobby Hutcherson and its seventy five minutes is filled with attractive pieces, expertly executed. Hobbs main instrument throughout is marimba, an instrument less heard in jazz than others, especially in a soloing context, so it makes for an interesting recording. As a side note, Hobbs has troubled to provide a booklet containing no few than thirteen pages of very informative sleeve notes plus photos, which add useful context to the tracks.

Personnel: Steve Hobbs: marimba, vibraphone; Adam Kolker: tenor and soprano saxophones; Bill O’Connell: piano; Peter Washington: bass; John Riley: drums. Carol Ingbretsen, Maurice Myers, Marvin Thorne: vocals.

Tribute To Bobby

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Steve Hobbs - On The Lower East Side

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 64:06
Size: 146.7 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[7:38] 1. Amazing Grace
[5:21] 2. Around And Around
[7:26] 3. Sweet And Lovely
[5:53] 4. The Song Is You
[4:08] 5. Pedra Bonita
[7:23] 6. Thinking Of Chet
[3:52] 7. Au Privave
[5:09] 8. 18-35 (Together Again)
[5:12] 9. Pentachronic
[5:42] 10. But Beautiful
[6:17] 11. What Is This Thing Called Love

On the Lower East Side is an appropriate title for this hard bop date, which Steve Hobbs really did record on Manhattan's Lower East Side. It was in that part of New York that the vibist/marimba player formed a cohesive quartet with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Victor Lewis. Barron's solos alone make this CD worth the price of admission, but Hobbs is no slouch either. Although not as well known as he deserves to be, Hobbs is an expressive, swinging improviser with a recognizable sound. Though influences like Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson serve him well, Hobbs is definitely his own person. This is apparent on inspired versions of overdone warhorses (including "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "The Song Is You") as well as Hobbs originals that range from the Brazilian-flavored "Pedra Bonita" to the intriguing "Song for Chet" (which the jazzman wrote after learning about trumpeter Chet Baker's mysterious death in May 1988). One of the CD's most imaginative tracks is "Amazing Grace," which works quite well in a bop setting. On the Lower East Side isn't Hobbs' most essential release, but it's still an album that he can be proud of. ~Alex Henderson

On The Lower East Side

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