Lauren Hooker - Life of the Music (2010)

Life of The Music comes four years after Lauren Hooker's initial acclaimed CD release Right Where I Belong. The listener receives a close-up view of Lauren's broad musical scope and fine musicianship and she surrounds herself with seasoned world-class instrumentalists, making this collaboration spectacular. Multi-instrumentalist, Scott Robinson, playing soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones as well as trumpet, flugelhorn and flute is joined by pianist, Jim Ridl; along with Martin Wind on bass, Mike Richmond on bass and cello, Tim Horner on drums and percussion, and John Hart on guitar. (Lauren Hooker is found playing piano on three of the cuts, as well). Four gems from the American songbook and seven strong originals help to make this a well-balanced program for this superb recording. Her voice is mature, rich, robust, and full of emotion that only experience can bring, possessing a myriad of colors that successfully embrace this ambitious and eclectic program.

Lauren Hooker: vocals, acoustic piano, electric piano; djembe; Jim Ridl: acoustic piano; Tim Horner: drums, congas, pandera, shaker, whistle, flute; Scott Robinson: flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, flugelhorn, trumpet; John Hart: acostic guitar, electric guitar; Jeanette Curtis Rideau: spoken word (1); Mike Richmond: cello (5), acoustic bass (11)