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SWINGIN’ JAZZ ARTIST DEBUTS ALBUM: THE VIBE ORIENTATION
October 29, 2005 (Atlanta, GA) – Trumpeter and composer, Lee Hogans, releases his debut album, The Vibe Orientation, at the Apache Café in Atlanta, GA on November 18th & 19th. This funky young artist and his ensemble will perform original compositions featured on the new album, live on stage both nights. Doors open at Apache Café at 9pm on Friday and 8pm on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at the door or through Ticketmaster for $10. The Vibe Orientation CD will be available for purchase at the show or get yours ahead of time at www.leehogans.com.
The Vibe Orientation Album is a reflection of the life of Lee Hogans and an intimate look into his soul. Recorded in 2005, the album is a unique blend of swingin’ jazz, hip-hop, and soulful rhythm & blues. The Vibe Orientation is not just a collection of songs, but the outpouring of Lee’s love for music. “The Vibe Orientation is not something you listen too, it’s something you experience” (Lee Hogans). Lee’s brilliant tone, excellent articulation and lyricism are why his debut album, The Vibe Orientation, will not disappoint even the toughest music critics.
Currently, Lee Hogans and his group “Pursuance” perform at venues in New York City and New Jersey including Cecil’s Jazz Club, owned by the renowned drummer Cecil Brooks III. They are also performing at Kavehaz, Delta’s, The North Star, and the Candlelight Lounge.
ABOUT LEE HOGANS - A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Lee Hogans began studying music at the age of 10, and has evolved into soulful trumpeter and talented composer. Hogans has studied with renowned trumpeter Danny Harper, eldest of the famous Harper Brothers, renowned jazz educator William Fielder, instructor to award winning artists such as Terence Blanchard and Wynton Marsalis, and jazz legend Clark Terry. Lee’s trumpet stylings have been heard from Savannah, Georgia to Italy, Japan, and Portugal and has also performed with distinguished musicians like Stanley Cowell, Ralph Peterson, Ralph Bowen, Don Braden, the late great saxophonist Illinois Jacquet. Lee Hogans has even shared the stage with the legendary Ray Charles, as part of his orchestra. Though currently residing in North Brunswick, NJ, Lee always calls Atlanta, GA home.
Quotes:
"One of the more innovative, young, intelligently put together, swingin, funky, soulful ensembles that I've heard. They are redefining smooth jazz because they are smooth, and its real jazz!"
Cecil Brooks III-world renowned drummer
"Lee Hogans is a creative and solid young trumpet player with a bright future ahead of him."
Clark Terry - Kacee Hughley
A local trumpet player has finally made it big after years of hard work and support from friends and family. William Lee Hogans is the newest addition to the band of R&B and rock star, Prince. Hogans is part of a four member horn section and performs behind Prince every weekend at Prince’s hip new club, 3121 in Las Vegas Nevada. As part of Prince’s band, Hogans has also had the opportunity to play with Elton John. This is not the first time Hogans has had success as part of a megastar’s band, he just finished up a CD tour with rap artist and hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Hogans is also an accomplished jazz artist who got his start in music at Morrow High School in Clayton County. Hogans then attended Georgia State University, where he studied classical music under Mark Hughes, principal trumpeter of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In 2003, Lee Hogans earned a masters degree in jazz performance at Rutgers University under the guidance of the renowned jazz educator William Fielder, instructor to award winning artists such as Terence Blanchard and Wynton Marsalis.
Hogans’ artistic ability has been heard from Savannah, Ga. to Italy, Japan, and Portugal, having traveled extensively with international touring band Total Package and under the big top of UniverSoul Circus with the Poppin Soul Band. He has also performed with world-renowned musicians including Stanley Cowell, Ralph Peterson, Ralph Bowen, Chris Potter, the late great saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, R&B star Stevie Wonder and has shared the stage with the legendary Ray Charles as a part of his orchestra, under the direction Victor Vanacore.
Hogans’ accomplishments do not stop there, however. He debuted his first album, “The Vibe Orientation” in 2006. The album is a soulful mix of jazz and R&B that was largely written and produced by Hogans. “The Vibe Orientation” is available for purchase at www.LeeHogans.com and www.CDBaby.com.
Lee Hogans may travel all over the country following his love of music, but he calls Atlanta home. His parents, William and Belinda Hogans, live in Tyrone, Ga. along with his younger brother, Brian, also a jazz musician who is currently attending Queens College in New York. - The Citizen
Discography
The Vibe Orientation available at:
CD BABY cdbaby.com/cd/hogans
iTunes
Rhapsody
amazon.com
cdconnection.com
payplay.fm
stimulatingmusic.com
Planet Earth-Prince and the NPG
Indigo 21 Nights-Prince and the NPG
Fantasia-Fantasia
Illinois Jacquet-The Last Concert
Photos
Bio
Trumpeter, songwriter and producer W. Lee Hogans finds truth in the words of Louis Armstrong: “What we play is life!” And though he draws inspiration from a gamut of the game’s greats—from Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard to James Brown and Run-D.M.C—Lee fashions a style of music distinctly his own.
A native of Atlanta, Lee began studying music at the age of ten, and he’s certainly come a long way from those tentative first plunges on a scrap metal trumpet. Currently, Lee tours with hip-hop legend icon Jay-Z, with whom Lee performed during the inauguration festivities for President Barack Obama. Hogans likewise plays alongside pop luminary Prince; notable performances together include the 2008 Academy Awards Party and during the 2007 Super Bowl week in Miami. Additionally, Lee has toured with music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ on the “Press Play” world tour, which featured a host of televised appearances. Elsewhere, Hogans relished his time playing with Hidden Beach recording artist Jill Scott, on the domestic and European legs of her 2008 “The Real Thing” tour. Lee also performs regularly with heralded saxophonist Mike Phillips, whom Hogans regards as a mentor and inspiration. Prominent perennial events include the Tom Joyner Cruise, Essence Festival and the BET Jazz Festival.
When not playing with such notables, Lee diligently develops his own sound as the trumpeter and composer for his own band, Pursuance. Encompassing elements of funk, hip-hop, jazz, and soul, Pursuance dazzles audiences at destination venues throughout New York and New Jersey, e.g. Blue Note, Groove, and Cecil’s Jazz Club. Lee’s debut album with Pursuance, The Vibe Orientation, was an intensely personal, introspective, sophisticated, engaging affair. It garnered received airplay on The Weather Channel, Sirius/XM Radio, and various terrestrial outlets. Hogans is now hard at work on his sophomore effort, which promises a more boisterous, funky, beat-propelled palate. Expect collaborations with household names for the project.
Lee’s composition and delivery developed through years of musical study; the tutelage of renowned trumpeter Danny Harper —instruction on theory, improvisation, composition, and technical style— rounded out his skill set. At Georgia State University, Lee studied classical music under Mark Hughes, principal trumpeter of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Lee’s prinicipal on-stage forays began at Atlanta’s premier jazz club, Churchill Grounds, a gig he held until graduating with Honors under the direction of Dr. Gordon Vernick, GSU’s jazz studies director and trumpet professor.
In 2003, Lee earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance from Rutgers University in New Jersey, under the guidance of vaunted jazz educators William Fielder and Clark Terry. From there, Lee has forged ahead as a trumpeter-in-demand, making a name for himself in New York City and beyond. When not on tour, Lee is in the recording studio lacing tracks with his sonic signature, having recorded with Mark Ronson, Jadakiss, Fantasia, Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, Ghosftace Killah, Sheila E, and on three Prince albums. Lee has likewise honed his production chops and composes not only his own material, but myriad other artists’ as well. Lee Hogans is a man on the move. And he certainly bears watching. And hearing. And heeding.
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