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Reuben Hoch

Drummer and composer Reuben Hoch was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1959. He was raised as an Orthodox Jew, attended Yeshiva, and prayed in the synagogues of various Chassidic Sects, including Munkatch and Satmar. He began playing the drums at the age of 12 and became interested in jazz while in high school. He began playing professionally at the age of 16. By the time he was a senior in high school, Reuben was quite active on the New York jazz scene and recorded with his first group, Repercussions. Heavily influenced by Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette and Elvin Jones, by age 19, Reuben was playing with Art Blakey sidemen Valery Ponomaerov, David Schnitter and Lonnie Plaxico. He remained musically active throughout college and while attending medical school in Tel Aviv from 1984 to 1988, became a member of the Israeli jazz quartet Zaviot. Zaviot toured extensively throughout Europe performing in major festivals, winning an award for most originality in the Red Sea Jazz Festival in 1986. Reuben has appeared on many albums including two as a leader of his own group, The RH Factor, which features Miles David alumnus Dave Liebman.

Reuben's debut CD was recorded live at New York's Knitting Factory. Amongst the many musicians that Reuben has performed and recorded with are Greg Osby, Lonnie Plaxico, Jim Pepper, Ron McClure, Don Friedman, Joey Calderazzo, Ed Schuller, Leni Stern and Jeff Andrews. He was co-leader of the group West End Avenue, which featured the great Native American Saxophonist, Jim Pepper. West End Avenue released four CD's. The group's 1989 release "West End Avenue ", featuring Jim Pepper, Christoph Spendel and Ron McClure, was record of the month in Germany. This recording, which contains two of Reuben's original compositions, was given three stars in "The Penguin Guide To Jazz On CD". The Chassidic Jazz Project, Reuben's most recent effort, combines traditional Chassidic melodies with contemporary jazz arrangements. For Reuben, this project is the realization of a lifelong dream and a vision for the future.

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154
Album Review

Reuben Hoch and Time: Of Recent Time

Read "Of Recent Time" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni


Reuben Hoch's musical career has been a long and winding one. Reared as an orthodox Jew in Brooklyn, the drummer's interest in music was sparked by Chassidic songs, but soon he discovered Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and the greater jazz discography. He relocated to Tel Aviv, Israel as a medical student, where he was a member of the seminal free jazz quartet Zaviot. When he returned to the States, he recorded two discs with his own RH Factor, and in ...

150
Album Review

Reuben Hoch and The Chassidic Jazz Project: Live at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Read "Live at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts" reviewed by Elliott Simon


Jewish music and jazz get along well together; they have been doing so for years and are perhaps now closer than ever. Jazz musicians use cantorial modes to further their own improvisational explorations, and musicians playing within a klezmer or Sephardic secular tradition include jazz stylings as part of their overall arrangements. Given all this, it is somewhat surprising that few musicians, with David Chevan's Afro-Semitic Experience being the most notable exception, have attempted serious jazz interpretations of Jewish liturgical ...

380
Album Review

Reuben Hoch and the Chassidic Jazz Project: Live at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Read "Live at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts" reviewed by Alexander M. Stern


There is no doubt that Jews have contributed as much to the evolution of jazz as any ethnic group. A short list of great Jewish jazz musicians would include Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Paul Desmond. Jews have made some great contributions to jazz in other ways as well. Blue Note founders Alfred Lion and Frank Wolff were both Jewish, just like Leonard Feather and Nat Hentoff. And then, of course, there’s yours truly. ...

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Radio

Reuben Hoch's Adrenaline Jazz Trio Performs On WLRN's South Florida Arts Beat, 6/15/12

Reuben Hoch's Adrenaline Jazz Trio Performs On WLRN's South Florida Arts Beat, 6/15/12

Source: Ed Bell

Please tune in for another great musical performance on WLRN's South Florida Arts Beat on Friday, June 15th, 2012 With REUBEN HOCH AND ADRENALINE JAZZ Are you ready to hear traditional Jewish melodies in a Jam band format? Please join our audience for this swingin’ trio comprised of drummer Reuben Hoch (Greg Osby, Leni Stern, Lonnie Plaxico), Hammond B3 guru Ken Burkhart (Jazzberry Patch) and eight-string guitarist Tom Lippincott (Dave Liebman, Don Friedman, Ed Schuller). Each ...

103

Performance / Tour

Reuben Hoch plays New York in July with The Chassidic Jazz Project

Reuben Hoch plays New York in July with The Chassidic Jazz Project

Source: All About Jazz

Jazz drummer, Reuben Hoch, will appear at Makor in NYC on Thursday, July 20 at 7:30pm Reuben's spell binding ensemble, The Chassidic Jazz Project featuring saxophonist Dave Liebman, will debut at Makor on Thursday, July 20 at 7:30pm. The Chassidic Jazz Project has amazed audiences throughout the world with their unique approach to traditional Jewish melodies. This performance also features Ed Schuller, Tom Lippincott, Lev Ljova Zhurbin and Will Martina. Makor is located at 35 W. 67 st. (at central ...

107

Recording

Audiophile Naim Label Releases Drummer Reuben Hoch's Trio CD Of Recent Time

Audiophile Naim Label Releases Drummer Reuben Hoch's Trio CD Of Recent Time

Source: All About Jazz

The Naim label is proud to announce the release of drummer Reuben Hoch's extraordinary CD Of Recent Time featuring his new trio with pianist Don Friedman and bassist Ed Schuller. The audiophile recording features the trio's deeply personalized renditions of music by modern jazz greats such as Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny and other jazz pioneers, as well as originals by Hoch and Friedman.

The group's moniker “Time," refers to the drummer's pivotal role as the syncopated timekeeper, often ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Of Recent Time

Naim Label
2006

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Live at the Broward...

RH Factor Records
2004

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Live at the Broward...

RH Factor Records
2003

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Reuben Hoch and The...

RH Factor Records
0

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