Search - Steve Hobbs :: Second Encounter

Vibes Delight

Jon H. Luthro | Portland, OR USA | 03/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Steve Hobbs' Second Encounters is good jazz, most importantly. It's good jazz because the entire quartet plays strong and sympathetically as a unit. More than that, they leave each other room, even within their group dynamics, i.e, not soloing, to play as individuals. Each member feeds into the others' energy. It all makes for an electric experience each time I hit the play button.



Steve Hobbs has a rare gift of making his lines exciting without being overly crowded. When he plays fast he still sounds pure and melodic in a way that many vibes players can't quite seem to pull off. When he plays a ballad, as in the opener, "La Vie En Rose," he is achingly beautiful.



This CD is an excellent balance of fast bop tunes like "Move," "Daahoud," and "Airegin," and slower tunes Like "You Are Too Beautiful," "Waiting For Julie Ann," and the already mentioned "La Vie En Rose." Nothing is out of place here, and the songs are thoughtfully arranged so as not to jar the listener with abrupt tempo changes. The sound production is rich and full and close.



Think of the landmark Hutcherson recording, In the Vanguard. This recording isn't live but it still hits the same high-water mark and generates the same level of excitement. That's saying a lot.



Besides Mr. Hobbs on vibes, the quartet is Kenny Barron (p), Peter Washington (b), and Victor Lewis (d).



I need to give special mention to Victor Lewis, who is not only inventive and driving throughout, but thoughtful and supportive as well. He never crowds the others and is yet a huge force in the group.



None of these players is less than stellar. Even to single out Lewis above the others must be some kind of misdemeanor. Pick your favorite instrumentalist here and you can make a strong case in favor of him.



This recording is a vibes lover's delight. If you like Steve Nelson, Stefon Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Costa, and others in the vibes tradition, you will do well to give this a listen. If you're like me, it will grab you in and immediately rise to the top of your list.

"

An excellent musician and instructor !

Stetson Webster | Raleigh, NC United States | 04/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Steve Hobbs is truly underrated in his career as a music instructor and professional performer. My kid (one of his students) and I have all his albums and enjoy every track on them, expecially "Spring Cycle." I'm not sure about the recent anonymouns and highly polarized review here. Just keep up the great work, Hobbs!"

Excellent jazz vibraphonist

Greg | Tucson, AZ | 05/20/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am very pleased with my recent purchases of Steve Hobb's work--"Spring Cycle" and "Second Encounter"--great musicianship and comraderie among all of the players. Steve is the best vibraphonist in my collection of CD's. The review entitled "A Kid's Review" sounds like a hatchet job and frankly speaking Amazon should remove it. I doubt very seriously that one of the best jazz pianists in the U.S.- Kenny Barron- would continually record with Hobbs if he were an incompetent musician, and he clearly isn't; he has the chops and the sensitivity to handle jazz."