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Vibraphonist / Composer Jay Hoggard’s music has touched the hearts and souls of listeners around Planet Earth for over 40 years. Jay has long ranked with the greatest vibraphone innovators: he has been highly acclaimed as a master of the vibraphone and marimba, a supportive and engaging bandleader, a comprehensive and compelling composer immersed in the infinite musical varieties of the African Diaspora, a dedicated educator, and a respected recording artist.  

Jay’s music is positive, spiritual, uplifting, and happy. He masterfully draws on traditional and contemporary musical vocabulary to develop new directions for the vibraphone. Jay seamlessly blends jazz and gospel roots with African marimba rhythms. His performance repertoire represents the three B’s of the jazz tradition (Blues, Bop, Ballads) with original innovations.  Overall, Jay Hoggard has recorded 23 CDs as a leader. His compositions been featured internationally on radio, television, film and streaming. He has been consistently recognized as a significant composer of the music called jazz. 

In 2023, Jay Hoggard released two album’s on the JHVM label: RETRO FOCUS  and RAISE YOUR SPIRIT CONSCIOUSNESS. 

RETRO FOCUS is a diverse and dynamic compilation featuring 13 of his compositions previously released on five albums from his JHVM Label: The Right Place (2003), Swing ‘Em Gates (2007), Soular Power (2008), Solo from Two Sides (2009) and Harlem Hieroglyphs (2016). Retro Focus is a digitally remastered, curated playlist focused upon some of my up tempo, straight ahead compositions,” Hoggard says. “These compositions are core elements of my live performance repertoire, and always receive positive audience response. I am blessed to be able to offer them in this reissue format.”  Retro Focus offers a presentation of Jay Hoggard’s solid musical foundation. “On this release, I was able to focus upon compositions which have stayed with me over the past thirty years” Hoggard  relates. “They’ve grown and developed in performance and creativity, and are my signature of where I go when I'm working in a mainstream jazz setting.” 

RAISE YOUR SPIRIT CONSCIOUSNESS, features original compositions, along with stunning and swinging reimaginations of compositions by Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, and Stevie Wonder. As Hoggard wrote in the liner notes, “The music in this recording is intended to help you raise your spirit consciousness. It is grounded in African-derived global rhythms. The goal is to merge the sacred and the secular in the realm of thanksgiving for our everyday blessings. Let everything that has breath make a joyful noise to praise God.”

 Jay Hoggard is a tenured Professor of Music at his alma mater, Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, where he directs the Jazz Orchestra, and has taught and mentored hundreds of young musicians since 1991. 

 

 

                    Nat Adderley, Jr piano  John Brathwaite producer  Belden Bullock bass   Jay Hoggard vibraphone  Yoron Israel drums                                     photo by Juan Rodriguez 

photo by Santina Aldieri for Perceptions photography

Akua Dixon and Quartete Indigo Crowell Hall Wesleyan University 4-28-23 photo by Sandy Aldieri for Perceptions Photography

Jay Hoggard Quintet Live@ Van Gelder Studio video by Hubert Williams for Imgezofus.com

VIDEO ABOVE and PHOTO BY HUBERT WILLIAMS, IMAGEZOFUS.COM

click for solo performance 8-5-22 Philadelphia

w/ James Weidman Belden Bullock Pheeroan Aklaff Jocelyn Pleasant Middletown,Ct 7-14-22 click on photo

7-19-22 Jerry Tachoir Vibraphone Clinic

"Some things be different... some be the same."

click for Jay Hoggard Septet, prelude to the Dinkins Memorial, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, NYC, October 23,2021

Rest of Prelude,Service, speakers, and Music

click on photo for video

Steve Sandberg and Jay Hoggard 6-3-21 Soapbox Gallery Brooklyn,NY

click for "I AM FREE"

Click on photo for this recent interview/performance