Steve Hobbs' new jazz CD, on Challenge/Twinz Records, titled Vibes, Straight Up!, is available now! Vibes, Straight Up! includes jazz renditions of southern favorites such as Shenandoah, Woody the Woodpecker, Hey Good Lookin', The Old Rugged Cross, Stars Fell on Alabama, Georgia on My Mind, St. James Infirmary, Cherokee, and Wade in the Water. National airplay of the album will begin on January 11, 2010. Watch here for weekly updates as it rises through the charts!

Steve's previous release, Spring Cycle, was nominated for Best Album of the Year (2005) by the Jazz Journalists Association of America. The album hit #3 on the Jazz Week Jazz charts in June 2005. Steve was added to the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz in 2005 and was recognized as one of the 10 best vibists in the world by the BMG All Music Guide to Jazz in 1998. He has been featured in Jazz Times, Jazziz, Downbeat, All About Jazz, Cadence, and other international newspapers, journals and magazines. His music consistently gets major radio airplay in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. In June 2001, Steve was featured on BBC radio in "Vibes in Jazz, an Interview with Two American Vibraphonists: Gary Burton and Steve Hobbs," and is currently featured on the Time Warner Cable Jazz Network.

SIX TOP TEN RECORDS

1990 #10 (Gavin) Escape, Cexton
1992 #10 (Gavin) Cultural Diversity, Timeless
1995 #8 (Gavin) On the Lower East Side, Candid
2003 #6 (Jazz Week) Second Encounter, Candid
2005 #3 (Jazz Week) Spring Cycle, Random Chance
2010 #1 (Jazz Week) Vibes, Straight Up!, Challenge

Critic's Remarks

"He's a virtuoso vibraphonist with an inexhaustabile imagination."
Dave Gelly, London Observer, March, 2010

"Steve Hobbs has long been one of the most talented, if underrated, vibraphonists around."
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide, 2007

"Spring Cycle is a CD filled with well-played music by first rate dedicated musicians."
Harvey Siders Jazz Times, 2005

"With Spring Cycle Vibes Master Steve Hobbs has put out a delectably enjoyable CD of accessible, yet thought provoking music."
Georrge Harris All About Jazz, May 2005

"Hobbs, Barron, Washington and Lewis are at the absolute top of their game."
Phil Freeman Jazziz, 2004

"With Steve Hobbs, there are no gimmicks or bizarre hybrids, just world-class jazz playing. He plays vibraphone and marimba with great panache and his improvisations are full of delightfully unpredictable curves and angles."
Dave Gelly, The London Observer, 2001

"Hobbs does not sound deriative of his predecessors (Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, or Gary Burton); he has carved out his own identity on vibes and marimba."
Scott Yanow, Jazziz, 1996

"Steve Hobbs' originals practically define today's modern mainstream."
Scott Yanow, Cadence, July 1996

"Clearly, Hobbs is one of the mallet world's most versatile young talents, but his performance skills are fully equaled by his penchant for composition."
Mark Halston, Jazziz, July 1993

Players' Remarks

"Steve, Congrats on your new CD. I just downloaded it to itunes. You sound killin'! Warm Regards, Mike Mainieri"
Mike Mainieri, award winning vibraphonist (March 2010)

"I have played music with Steve Hobbs for over 30 years...simply stated, he is one of the best working vibraphonists on the scene today."
Randy Johnston, award-winning guitarist

"I sure have enjoyed working several projects with Steve Hobbs; you can expect to hear lots more from him in the future."
Kenny Barron, award-winning pianist and recording artist

"Vibraphonist Steve Hobbs has a great sound, swings like crazy and has evolved his own voice out of the tradition of Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson. Steve isn't afraid to take chances in the best sense of the word. I love playing with him."
John Stowell, guitarist

"Steve Hobbs is at the forefront of modern jazz vibraphone playing."
Dave Pike, award-winning vibraphonist formerly with Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea and others

"With Steve Hobbs, it is difficult to think of a more accomplished player on vibes and marimba. He is truly world class."
Alan Bates, Managing Director of Candid Records

"Steve Hobbs epitomizes the art of vibe playing."
Paul Jeffrey, Saxophonist/arranger for Lionel Hampton, Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus, and Dizzy Gillespie

"When I played a concert with Steve Hobbs, I was impressed with his rhythmic drive and his flowing melodic lines."
Don Friedman, pianist, Concord and Prestige Recording artist

"Steve Hobbs, one of the upcoming vibists of our times, plays with creativity and energy, and is dedicated to jazz. Playing Hobbs' originals are great vehicle for improvisation."
Greg Abate, saxophonist, Candid recording artist

"Steve Hobbs has definitely done his homework."
Joe Locke, vibraphonist and recording artist

"The focus and energy of Steve Hobbs' playing is infectious."
Kenny Blake, saxophonist, Heads Up recording artist