Sept. 22, 2016 (CHARLOTTE, NC) – Virillion Music recording artist Marc Hoffman, well-known throughout North Carolina for his compositions, teaching and performances, has announced the release on Late September, an all-original CD for jazz trio,
Hoffman had a breakthrough jazz release with his well-received Curioso in 2010. Late September includes 11 new pieces with Hoffman on piano, supported by Zack Page on the upright bass and Brian Sullivan on drums.
“The recording is crisp, clear and detailed, yet exudes a warm ambience,” says Gary Dalkin, a music writer and editor for Film Music on the Web. “The whole is a top quality release; whether looking for a striking new jazz trio release or a longtime follower of Hoffman’s career, most listeners are likely to be delighted by ‘Late September.’”
Guests include Tim Gordon, who plays flute on the song “Deeper”; Jon Thornton, who plays the trumpet on “Last Walk”; and Nathan Scott (bass) and Ryan Scott (drums), who join Hoffman on the tracks titled “Mulgroove” and “Dejado Vaya.”
Hoffman says his Late September project started with the title track, which he wrote as an homage to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The piece was written approximately 10 years after the fact, however.
“I decided early on that regardless of the inspiration for the title track, the project itself would not be themed around (it),” Hoffman said. The final product features jazz in a variety of styles, most written for trio — piano, upright bass and drums — though he does note the guest appearances of Gordon on the flute and Thornton on the trumpet.
In his review, Dalkin wrote that Last September continued Hoffman’s “journey into the heartlands of jazz.” Hoffman says he began pursuing his passion for jazz in the early 1990s after he had established himself as a composer and performer of film, theatre, pop and gospel music.
His previous jazz albums include Long Way Home (2003) and Curioso (2010). He also has the jazz-flavored Christmas Time, a collection of original tunes and new arrangements of traditional standards.
“In a field crowded with piano trios,” Dalkin wrote, Late September sees Hoffman return to the studio with a new confidence, able to hold his own with the best in the genre.”
In his review, Yanow said the music on Late September often sounds “as if it could serve as a soundtrack, either for films or for one’s thoughts.”
“As it turns out,” Yanow continued, “in his career Hoffman has written music for films and plays in addition to works for pop and gospel music. In recent times, he has shifted his focus to melodic jazz where his originals are impossible to categorize.”
Hoffman performs more than 100 dates a year “with a repertoire of original jazz and his own arrangement of standards, ballads and pop,” his website says. He performs with his trio and sometimes as a soloist or with other ensembles.
His music has been performed in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe by orchestras, other ensembles and soloists, according to his biography.
Hoffman, a Salisbury native, earned a degree in composition from the N.C. School of the Arts and went on to additional study in film composition at the University of Southern California. He also has studied at the Darlington International Summer School of Music in Devon, England, and belongs to BMI and the American Composer’s Forum.
Hoffman has several film and television credits. He composed the theme and underscore to the TV series Scienstars and an original score for “40 Fears” for Dalliance Films in 2014.
Other film credits include scoring for “The Mill” in 2008 and serving as music historian for the film “Revolution” in 1985.
Hoffman also is an author. In 2010, he wrote the children’s book “Sleep, Little Child,” which included an accompanying CD. His first book and companion DVD, “Essential Worship Keyboard,” was released by Emerald Books in 2007.
Hoffman also composed an original score for the Faith Fourth of July in 2015. He lives in Salisbury with his wife, Anne, and their daughter, August.
Late September is available on iTunes and through www.cdbaby.com.
For more information on Marc Hoffman, visit www.marchoffman.com. He is also available on https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/marchoffman, www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=255405, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Marc-Hoffman-Music-154003816557/, and at IMDb.com.
About Marc Hoffman:
Composer/pianist/vocalist Marc Hoffman received his degree in composition from the North Carolina School of the Arts and studied film composition at the University of Southern California. He also attended The Dartington International Summer School of Music in Devon, England. His composition teachers have included David Ott, Leo Arnaud, Neal Hefti, and Sherwood Shafffer. A member of BMI and the American Composer’s Forum, he is also founder and artistic director of the Salisbury School of Music. He lives in Salisbury with is wife, Anne, and their daughter August.