Mike Hobart is an experienced and soulful saxophonist who has played with the likes of Esther Phillips and Maceo Parker. His first inspirations were the flowing freedoms of Miles Davis’ 1960s quintet and the soulful blues of Ray Charles, but a lot has happened since then. Urban Jazz puts it all together, adds new beats and keeps it swinging hard. Texas tenor shouts over Latin funk, modal jazz bursts out of new-school R’n’B and hip-hop lends the legacy of Ellington and Monk urgency.
Line-up
Chris Lee, trumpet/effects
Mike Hobart, tenor sax
Aidrian Reid, keyboards
Greg Gottlieb, double bass
Eric Ford, drums/percussion
What they said about first CD The THIRD FISH.
“The Third Fish is both entertaining and stimulating, not words that go together as often as they should in jazz today………..The negotiation between contemporary and traditional feels just right”. Jazzwise
“Mike Hobart’s Urban Jazz Collective are having fun, blowing because they love it. Highlights are the swaggering Blue Note jazz of Fathead and the up-lifting Nardis, with Mike letting rip Pharoah-style”. Jez Nelson
“Mike Hobart’s Urban Jazz Collective pack a powerful punch, fresh in outlook and always funky, it’s the sheer love of jazz in all it’s many forms that shines through this great debut.” Kerstan Mackness Riotsquad Publicity and manager of Portico Quartet, Matthew Halsall and Roller Trio
CHRIS LEE
Chris Lee is a founder member of the 1980s punk-jazz band Pig Bag. His influences range from the mainstream to free improvisation – he joined the London Musicians Collective in 1986 – and his many sessions include work with The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. He formed his own band Such Sweet Thunder in 1997.
AIDRIAN REID
Aidrian Reid is one of the founder members of the Jazz Warriors alongside Courtney Pine and Gary Crosby. His many performing/recording credits range from Branford Marsalis and Clarke Peters to Mavis Staples, Chet Baker and the West End stage production Cat and the Kings. His early influences were Herbie Hancock, George Duke and Chick Corea but these are just the foundation of a broad musical palette.
GREG GOTTLIEB
Greg Gottlieb is an Australian double bassist who has been living and performing in London since 2010. In addition to being an in demand jazz musician in styles ranging from gypsy and organ jazz to a Thelonius Monk project, Greg has also toured internationally with musical theatre shows, composed for film scores and written for theatre.
ERIC FORD
Eric Ford is a founding member of the well-received band Partikel and a rising star of UK jazz. He’s played with US musicians like Bud Shank, Bobby Shew and Bill Watrous, and his UK playing credits vary from Guy Barker and Jim Mullen to Nathaniel Facey and Jim Hart. Recordings include Marc Almond, Nicolas Meier and Martin Shaw.