Best known for his work as pianist/arranger for Kurt Elling, Laurence Hobgood is also building up an impressive catalogue in his own right. This time around, he walks the successful tightrope of balancing chamber music and jazz trio work. The string team of Ralph Farris/via, Kip Jones/vi, Corin Leevi and Dorothy Lawson/cel create rich atmospheres for Hobgood’s team of drummer Jared Schonig and bassist Matthew Clohesy for a mix of standards and pop pieces.
The strings are perfectly suited as the flutter like feathers on “Blackbird,” leading in to Hobgood’s Chopinesque soloing, while they yearn as a lead to a passionate “We Shall Overcome.” The team takes an aggressive turn as the strings bow hard on a dramatic and bluesy read of Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” with Hobgood and company taking the baton and asserting into a peppy climax.” Schonig’s brushes are suave and sleek for a hip read of Miles Davis’ “All Of You” while the mood is gentle on my mind for a warm and introspective “Wichita Lineman.” This genre is a tough one to make successful without appearing to try to hard, and Hobgood does it with deft class.