Jazz Articles about Paul Hofmann

Paul Hofmann: New Inventions

by John Kelman
April 25, 2004

Integrating classical influences within an improvisational context is nothing new. What is less common, however, is the idea that there is a syntactical similarity between jazz artists including Bud Powell, Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington and classical composers including Chopin and J.S. Bach. With New Inventions pianist/ composer Paul Hofmann bridges the gap between these seemingly disparate styles; asserting, in fact, that they share more in common than one might think.

Hofmann forwards the not-so-novel but rarely considered idea that ...

Paul Hofmann: Topsy Turvy

by John Kelman
April 22, 2004

Some people might say that hard bop and bebop albums are a dime a dozen. Certainly there is a plethora of artists out there who continue to mine the wealth of commonly-played material. Harder to find are artists like pianist Paul Hofmann, a performer/composer/educator who chooses to examine lesser-known tunes by artists including Herbie Hancock, Sonny Clark and Herbie Nichols. On Topsy Turvy , his eighth album as a leader for his own MHR Records, Hofmann elegantly blends the old ...