Steve Hobbs

Steve Hobbs (Raleigh, 1955) began at age 7 playing hand drums. He started trumpet and drumset at age 11. At 17, he switched to vibes and from here things only went up. Steve attended Berklee College of Music, where he received his Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance in 1978. He continued his education by receiving a Master of Music in Jazz Mallet Performance in 1982 from the University of Miami. Throughout the years, Steve Hobbs has performed concerts and in jazz clubs in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He has been a headliner at many Jazz festivals. Steve has done extensive touring as a leader or sideman with such players as Tom Harell, Art Van Damme, Randy Johnston, John Stowell, Janice Barnett ("Janice"), Johnny San Sone ("Jumpin' Johnny"), and many more.Steve has recorded as a leader or sideman with Kenny Barron, Steve Berrios, Alan Broadbent, Luis Conti, Bruce Foreman, Tom Harrell, Randy Johnston, Joe LaBarbera, Victor Lewis, Bob Malach, Eddie Marshall, Bill O'Connell, John Patitucci, Rufus Reid, John Riley, Bob Sheppard, Dave Valentin, Peter Washington, and many others.Steve's latest release, Spring Cycle, was nominated for Best Album of the Year (2005) by the Jazz Journalists Association of America. The album hit #3 on the Jazz Week Jazz charts in June 2005. Steve was added to the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz in 2005 and was recognized as one of the 10 best vibists in the world by the BMG All Music Guide to Jazz in 1998. He has been featured in Jazz Times, Jazziz, Downbeat, All About Jazz, Cadence, and other international newspapers, journals and magazines. His music consistently gets major radio airplay in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. In June 2001, Steve was featured on BBC radio in "Vibes in Jazz, an Interview with Two American Vibraphonists: Gary Burton and Steve Hobbs," and is currently featured on the Time Warner Cable Jazz Network.