Album Notes

NEW CD FROM VIBRAPHONIST-COMPOSER JAY HOGGARD
featuring James Weidman piano/organ Belden Bullock bass Yoron Israel drums

Tracks: HAPPY TO BE HAPPY ;ON A CLEAR DAY; SOULAR POWER; YOU'RE IN MY HEART ALL THE TIME ;BLUES BAGS; SWEET POTATO; PRAYIN OUT LOUD; CONVERGENCE OF THE NILES ;OVERVIEW; GOD WILL GUIDE ;THE LITTLE TIGER ; MYSTIC WINDS/TROPIC BREEZES.

JHVM Recordings announces the Fall,2008 release of SOULAR POWER by vibraphonist-composer Jay Hoggard. SOULAR POWER is an exquisite set of eleven Jay Hoggard compositions and one jazz standard. It is Jay’s twenty-first recording as a leader and his fifth for JHVM.

As Hoggard says, “this CD has the feel of a live performance with the benefit of studio quality sound. New tunes are combined with others that have evolved in performance over the years. My goal is to be positive, spiritual, happy, and uplifting. I am about music that is both aesthetically pleasing for your mind and spirit and funkally pleasing for your body and soul. The power of soul is a mystical paradigm of consciousness transformation .”

SOULAR POWER swings with great sonic balance among its instruments and artists. Pianist/ organist James Weidman, bassist Belden Bullock, and drummer Yoron Israel have performed and recorded as an ensemble with Jay for more than fifteen years. Their performances here are of a caliber that can only be delivered by long associated, empathetic collaborators.

SOULAR POWER presents a full spectrum for jazz listeners. The tracks are a mixture of pulsating, post-bop improvisations interwoven with the spirit of gospel and blues. Happy To Be Happy, Sweet Potato, God Will Guide, and Prayin’ Out Loud are audience pleasers that cook with soulful grooves. Blues Bags, On A Clear Day, and the tender You're In My Heart All The Time flow with classic, melodic lyricism. Soular Power, Convergence, The Little Tiger, Overview and Mystic Winds/Tropic Breezes sizzle with Jay’s unique blend of compositional structure and African marimba inspired vocabulary.

Jay Hoggard has performed in special concert settings with vibraphone masters Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Tito Puente and Bobby Hutcherson. He has recorded and toured with Kenny Burrell, Dr. Billy Taylor, James Newton, Hilton Ruiz, Oliver Lake, Anthony Davis,
Geri Allen, Bennie Maupin, Dwight Andrews, Chico Freeman, Sherry Winston, and Kwaku Kwache Obeng to name a few!