Laurence Hobgood (born 1959) is a contemporary jazz piano virtuoso, composer,

arranger, producer, lyricist and educator. Perhaps best known for his twenty-year
collaboration with vocalist Kurt Elling, Hobgood has had a varied and dynamic career. In
addition to his prowess at the piano he's identified by many as a key player in the
imaginative updating of the "American Songbook", particularly in his arranging for vocalists;
his stylized re-imagining of both classic songbook repertoire and more recent artists' work
(Carole King; Earth, Wind & Fire; Paul Simon; Burt Bacharach; Sting; U2, etc.) has had a
far-ranging influence within the jazz world and beyond.

Contents
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1Early life
2Music
3Discography
o 3.1Pianist, musical director, producer, arranger
4Awards and nominations
5References

Early life[edit]
Born Dec. 23, 1959, in Salisbury, North Carolina, Laurence is the son of Burnet Mclean and
Jane Bishop Hobgood. His father was the director of the small but thriving Theater
Department at Catawba College. Soon the family moved to Ithaca, New York, where his
father earned his Ph.D., then again to Dallas, Texas, in 1964 where Burnet served as
Chairman of the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Department of Theater for eleven
years.
In Dallas Hobgood attended Lakewood Elementary School and J.L. Long Junior High
School. He also began piano study, beginning in SMUs piano prep program, but moving
quickly to private lessons with Kenneth Newsome, and then Dorothy Brin Crocker, a
celebrated childrens piano teacher in the Southwest. His first forays into composing and
improvising happened during this period; his emerging improvisational instinct was not
always a welcome influence during his classical study.
In 1975 the Hobgoods moved to Urbana, Illinois, where Burnet assumed the Chair of the
Theater program at University of Illinois. During high school Hobgood studied jazz for the
first time with Tony Caramia, a new professor in piano pedagogy but an accomplished jazz
player. In the fall of 1978, after entering the University of Illinois Music Department,
Hobgood returned to classical study with notable British pianist Ian Hobson. It was during
his lessons with Hobson that Hobgood learned the technical system that cemented his
approach and that he still practices today.
Despite the profound impact made by teachers like Hobson, John Garvey, and Sal
Martirano (composition), Hobgood chose to leave school after two and a half years and
dedicate himself solely to jazz practice, both playing and composing/arranging. His
remaining years in Champaign/Urbana were spent leading a trio and focusing on
developing his playing and writing.
In 1988 he moved to Chicago. After some time getting established in the jazz scene several
key developments occurred almost simultaneously: he was invited to join the regular
Monday night band (led by Ed Peterson) at the storied Green Mill Cocktail Lounge; he
started playing with drummer Paul Wertico (which eventually led to the formation of Trio
New with bassist Eric Hochberg); and he was invited to play in the resident jazz ensemble
of the Aspen Music Festival (1990, 91, 92.)
In 1993 he met a young, still unknown jazz singer named Kurt Elling. Hobgood served as
Ellings music director producing, playing on, and composing/arranging for Ellings first ten
records (six for Blue Note and four for Concord.) All ten were Grammy nominated and
Hobgood also garnered two nominations for his arranging on "Flirting With Twilight" and
"Dedicated To You" respectively. Hobgood received a 2009 Grammy award[1] for his work
as producer on "Dedicated To You".
With both Elling and his own groups Hobgood has toured the globe and played at most of
the worlds most prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House, Londons Barbican and Queen
Elizabeth Halls, and festivals like Montreaux, Newport, and Spoleto.

Music[edit]
Contemporary virtuoso pianist, collaborator, composer, arranger, producer, educator;
multiple Grammy nominee and 2010 Grammy winner Laurence Hobgood has enjoyed a
multi-faceted and dynamic career.
Perhaps best known as musical director for singer Kurt Elling from1995-2013 Hobgood
played on, composed/arranged for and co-produced ten of Ellings CDs (six for Blue
Note and four for Concord), each Grammy nominated. 2009s Dedicated To You: Kurt
Elling sings The Music Of Coltrane and Hartman, recorded live at Lincoln Center, won the
2010 Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Record, with Hobgood receiving one of the
coveted statues for his work as producer. Hobgood was awarded three consecutive
fellowships (1990, 1991, 1992) to perform in the Aspen Music Festival. The Chicago
Tribune honored him as a 1995 Chicagoan of the Year in the Arts. In 2003 he received
a Deems Taylor Award, given by ASCAP for the years outstanding music journalism, for
his article, The Art Of The Trio, published by JazzTimes magazine.
His 2007 CD, When The Heart Dances (Naim), a duet recording with iconic bassist Charlie
Haden, has received worldwide critical acclaim, garnering four-star reviews from Down
Beat and the United Kingdom's Mojo magazine among others.
Hobgoods February 2012 release, POEMJAZZ (Circumstantial), is an adventurous
collaboration with poet Robert Pinsky, the only three-term U.S. Poet Laureate. It features
Pinskys energetic readings of his poems with an emphasis on musical phrasing (as
opposed to "dramatic" phrasing) coupled with Hobgoods engaging, thematic improvised
accompaniment, played live in studio simultaneous with the distinguished poets recitations.
A second POEMJAZZ record is forthcoming. His 2012 CD, Laurence Hobgood Quartet
Featuring Ernie Watts (Circumstantial), recorded live at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis,
features vibrant performances of all original repertoire.
Hobgoods 2013 release Christmas was chosen by The New York Times and The
Chicago Tribune as one of the top holiday CDs of the year. In The New York Times, Nate
Chinen said, For most of this beautifully recorded album, hes alone at the piano,
unspooling solemn reveries after the example of his north star, Keith Jarrett. And the
Chicago Tribunes Howard Reich wrote, 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.'
2013 also saw the debut of the Laurence Hobgood Quintet featuring Ernie
Watts. Downbeat magazines review of a performance concluded, Hobgood obviously
embraced his leadership role, playfully interacting with the audience and providing insight
between each composition. Whatever he ends up doing next with his pen and piano, it will
no doubt be swinging. And hell have plenty of fans anxiously awaiting to hear his future
projects.
In April and May 2014 Hobgood began a new collaboration with Chicago vocalist Tammy
McCann, arranging, playing and producing Tammy's "Love Stories" project. In December of
2014 Hobgood recorded a new trio project, Honor Thy Fathers, with bassist John
Patitucci and drummer Kendrick Scott, scheduled for September 2015, release. Recorded
at New York's Sear Sound, the album features original compositions and novel
arrangements of standard and popular tunes (Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic" as an up-
tempo burner, for example), each dedicated to one of Hobgood's personal influences/
inspirations.
Hobgood has performed with his own groups, Elling and others at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln
Center, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood,
the Chicago Symphony Center and Ravinia, Sydney Opera House, Londons
Barbican and Queen Elizabeth Halls, as well as the worlds most prestigious jazz festivals
including Montreaux, North Sea, Monterey, Spoleto USA, Newport, Umbria, Montreal, JVC
festivals in Paris and Japan and many others. Hobgood also appeared with Elling at the
2009 State Dinner given at the White House where President Barack Obama welcomed
Indias Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He has played and/or recorded with Larry Coryell, Lee Konitz, John Patitucci, Jon
Hendricks, Regina Carter, Stefon Harris, Arturo Sandoval, Richard Galliano, Christian
McBride, Esperanza Spalding, Terreon Gully, Terrence Blanchard, Bob Sheppard, Ernie
Watts, Marc Johnson, Joe Lovano, Benny Maupin, Paul Wertico, Bobby Watson, Clark
Terry, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Anat Cohen, Bob Mintzer, Mark Murphy, Von Freeman, Peter
Erskine, Paul McCandless, Gary Burton and Eddie Daniels, among others.

Discography[edit]
Left To My Own Devices (Naim, 2000)
Crazy World (Naim, 2005)
When The Heart Dances featuring Charlie Haden (Naim, 2009)[2]
POEMJAZZ duet with Robert Pinsky (Circumstantial, 2012)[3]
Laurence Hobgood Quartet Live feat. Ernie Watts (Circumstantial, 2012)
Christmas (Circumstantial, 2013) [4]
Pianist, musical director, producer, arranger[edit]
No One Ever Tells You (1992) Eden Atwood
Castle Creek Shuffle (1995) Jeff Benedict
Close Your Eyes (1995) Kurt Elling
The Messenger (1997) Kurt Elling
Union (1997) co-op trio with Paul Wertico and Brian Torff
This Time It's Love (1998) Kurt Elling
State Of The Union (1999) co-op trio with Paul Wertico and Brian Torff
Live In Chicago (2000) Kurt Elling
Flirting With Twilight (2001) Kurt Elling
Man in the Air (2003) Kurt Elling
Split Decision (2004) Jim Gailloreto
Love Is Blue (2004) Jackie Allen
Tangled (2006) Jackie Allen
Nightmoves (2007) Kurt Elling
Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman (2009) Kurt
Elling
Quartet (2009) Rob Parton
The Gate (2011) Kurt Elling
1619 Broadway - The Brill Building Project (2012) Kurt Elling
Southern Comfort (2014) Regina Carter
Love Stories (2014) Tammy McCann
Timeless (2014) Alicia Olatuja