NEW
YORK (www.chassidicjazz.com) - Orthodox Judaism and Jazz are rarely
rendered in the same breath except in the case of master drummer,
Reuben Hoch. Reuben Hoch was brought up as an Orthodox Jew in Brooklyn,
NY where he attended jewish parochial schools and eventually graduated
from Yeshiva University. His interest in music was sparked by chassidic
niggunim (songs) mostly liturgical in nature. As a child he prayed in
the synagogue of the Munkatcher Chassidim in Boro Park, Brooklyn.
By
age fourteen, the jazz bug bit him through the music of Art Blakey's
Jazz Messengers. Constant devotion to the jazz art form throughout high
school led to playing and recording engagements with David Schnitter,
Valerie Ponomaerov, Dave Liebman, Lonnie Plaxico, Jim Pepper, Ed
Schuller, Don Friedman, Ron McClure, Jeff Andrews, Leni Stern, Joey
Calderazzo, Greg Osby, Christoph Spendel, West End Avenue, Zaviot jazz
Quartet and others. He recorded several albums with his group, The RH
Factor featuring his original compositions. His first solo CD was
recorded at New York's Knitting Factory.
Hoch eventually created
the astounding Chassidic Jazz Project which fuses jazz, chamber music
and world music in 1998. The Chassidic Jazz Project has received
accolades throughout the music industry. The group's CD, "Live At The
Broward Center For The Performing Arts", on RH Factor Records, features
Don Friedman and Bobby Thomas Jr. It is an unprecedented work that
truly portrays the creative potential of traditional Jewish music
through the kaleidoscope of Hoch's creativity.
As Hoch puts it,
"Man does not live on Chassidic Jazz alone." He therefore joined with
The Naim Label through long time friend, Ken Christianson. Ken, a
brilliant recording engineer, has a long history of capturing jazz
artists in a very organic way through a two microphone technique
recrded to the open reel Nagra Recorder. He has recorded and produced
artists such as Charlie Haden, John Taylor, Laurence Hobgood, Kurt
Elling, Paul Wertico and others for The Naim Label. What Hoch shares in
common with these artists is his dedication to innovation and concept.
Hoch states; "Jazz artists have become complacent. I choose to follow
the teachings of Miles and Coltrane. To always strive for the highest
level of creativity." Naim even produces LP's for the audiophiles. This
recording was done at The Community Performing Arts Center in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida.
Hoch quotes the late Drummer, Guy Viberos;
"There's nothing that you could do about time, it just keeps on going."
He therefore named his new trio, "Time", in order to demonstrate the
drummer's task as keeper of time. In what will proove to be one of the
greatest CD's of 2005, the recording is dedicated to the great
contemporary Jazz composers of the twentieth century. The trio
interprets the music of Pat Metheney, Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers, Chick
Corea and Joe Zawinul to name a few. The "Time Trio" consisting of Jazz
veterans Don Friedman of Clark Terry's band and Ed Schuller of
saxophone giant Joe Lovano's band will take its place amongst the great
trios of Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Jacky Terrasson and Brad Mehldau.
Look
out for this stunning compilation scheduled to hit the streets in April
2005. The Naim Label is a subsidiary of Naim Audio from Salisbury,
England. For more information, contact www.naim-audio.com, www.promusicaaudio.com, www.chassidicjazz.com.
