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Ari Hoenig


ARI HOENIG BIOGRAPHY Born on November 13, 1973 in Philadelphia, Ari Hoenig, was exposed at an early age to a variety of musical experiences. His father is a conductor and classical singer, his mother a violinist and pianist. Accordingly, at 4 years of age, Ari began studying the violin and piano. He began playing drums at age twelve, and by age fourteen he was honing his skills with other young jazz musicians at Philly clubs such as Ortlieb's JazzHaus. Ari attended the prestigious University of North Texas for three years, where he studied with Ed Soph while playing with the "One O'Clock" Lab Band. Wanting to be closer to New York City, in 1995 Ari transferred to William Patterson College in northern New Jersey. He soon found himself playing for legendary Philadelphia organist Shirley Scott and working regularly in New York City. Shortly thereafter, Ari moved into Brooklyn and found himself started playing extensively with a variety of groups, including Jean Michel Pilc Trio, Kenny Werner Trio, Chris Potter Underground, Kurt Rosenwinkel Group, Joshua Redman Elastic band, Jazz Mandolin Project, and bands led by Wayne Krantz, Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Billy Childs and Pat Martino. He has also shared the stage with such artists as Herbie Hancock, Ivan Linz, Wynton Marsalis, Toots Thielemans, Dave Holland, Joe Lovano, and Gerry Mulligan, although he got kicked off the stage by security shortly thereafter. Both of Ari's self-produced solo drum CDs, "Time Travels" (2000) and "The Life Of A Day" (2002), document his exploratory nature and they represent an ambitious tribute to the melodic possibilities of the drum set. Today, Ari continues to build on the concepts of these two records by playing largely improvised solo concerts using a regular four piece drum kit and no extraneous percussion. The Ari Hoenig Quartet was formed at the end of 2002 while playing every Monday night at the New York Village jazz club Fat Cat. The band featured Jacques Schwarz-Bart on tenor sax, Jean Michel Pilc on piano, and Matt Penman on bass. They released two records on the Smalls Records label: "The Painter" (2004) and the DVD "Kinetic Hues" (2005) In 2006 Ari signed a multi record deal with Dreyfus Records and released his first record for them called “Inversations" (2006) which features the trio of Jean Michel Pilc and Johannes Weidenmueller. “Bert’s Playground” (2008), Ari’s second record for Dreyfus, features Ari’s Punk Bop Band joined by Chris Potter.

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Album Review

Ben Markley: Ari's Funhouse

Read "Ari's Funhouse" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Accade spesso nel jazz che dagli incontri estemporanei nascano le cose migliori. Il bandleader e arrangiatore Ben Markley e il batterista Ari Hoenig si sono conosciuti nel 2019 in un jazz festival del Texas. Da quell'incontro è nato questo progetto discografico, che ha visto Markley orchestrare le composizioni di Hoenig per la big band che guida a Denver. Il batterista è ospite dell'ensemble e dà il suo contributo con un vivace e articolato sostegno ritmico. L'album è stato registrato nel ...

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Album Review

Gili Lopes: Algures

Read "Algures" reviewed by Doug Collette


Bassist, composer, musical director and producer Gili Lopes is nothing if not an astute judge of talent. After all, for Algures (from an old Portuguese word meaning 'somewhere'), he has recruited a redoubtable case of accompanists, not the least of whom is saxophonist John Ellis, he of fruitful collaborations with Charlie Hunter and Miguel Zenon among others, as well as a string of diverse albums under his own name such as Dance Like There's No Tomorrow (Hyena, 2008) and Puppet ...

3
Album Review

Benjamin Boone: Caught in the Rhythm

Read "Caught in the Rhythm" reviewed by Paul Rauch


The connection between poetry and jazz music is a delicate one. It has been documented so infrequently, in performance and recordings, that one still conjures the flicker of an image of Jack Kerouac reading in some dark Greenwich Village cafe with Steve Allen or Zoot Sims, surrounded by beret-wearing, cappuccino-sipping beatniks. The work of Fresno-based saxophonist Benjamin Boone has assisted in widening that view through four albums recorded for the Origin Records label, including the fourth, Caught in the Rhythm ...

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Album Review

Eunmi Lee: Introspection

Read "Introspection" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Eunmi Lee is a quick learner. The South Korean-born pianist, who now makes her home in New York City, did not become acquainted with or interested in jazz until a friend introduced her to the GRP Records catalogue. That was more than a year after she had received a degree in contemporary piano from the Seoul Institute for the Arts, in 2005. Eager to learn more, Lee came to California in 2007 to take part in an open house at ...

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Album Review

JD Walter: What the World Needs Now

Read "What the World Needs Now" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


JD Walter beckons listeners into a soulful and captivating journey through modern jazz interpretations of non-jazz material. With his unique vocal stylings and innovative arrangements, he brings a fresh perspective to familiar popular tunes, and several jazz standards, while delivering thought-provoking original compositions. From the very first track--Stevie Wonder's “Golden Lady"--it is evident that Walter's vocal prowess is a force to be reckoned with. He dashes along in full flight and then effortlessly shifts into intricate ...

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Album Review

Eunmi Lee: Introspection

Read "Introspection" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Korean-born, New York-based pianist and composer Eunmi Lee opens her debut record, Introspection with her original composition, “Gimmick." And, if there is a gimmick, it sounds as if it might be her strong compositional voice and her way with an arrangement. The tune features Alan Ferber on trombone, saxophonist John Ellis, a guitar, bass and drums rhythm section, and Lee in the piano chair. In spite of the album's title, this opener is a bright, sassy roller. Maybe the gimmick ...

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Album Review

Alex Weitz: Rule of Thirds

Read "Rule of Thirds" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Tenor saxophonist Alex Weitz's third album, Rule of Thirds, is a quartet date with guests--on seven of its nine tracks. In addition to playing tenor, Weitz wrote all but one of those numbers, Cole Porter's seductive “Love for Sale." Like many saxophonists these days, Weitz has excellent technique, which means he plays a lot of notes, and does that quite well. To his credit, he doesn't lean exclusively on that aspect of his talent, slowing the pace on several numbers ...

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Recording

Ari Hoenig - Lines of Opression (Naive/Ah-Ha, 2011)

Ari Hoenig - Lines of Opression (Naive/Ah-Ha, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland

Drummer Ari Hoenig has played in a number of jazz bands, especially on the Small's scene in New York City, as well as released a few albums as a leader. On this album he is accompanied by Tigran Hamayan on piano and beat box, Gilad Hekselman on guitar and Orlando Le Fleming and Chris Tordini on bass. The group pays crisp, clear and accessible modern jazz that occasionally flirts with hip-hop or progressive rock, but stays true to its post-bop ...

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Performance / Tour

Sean Nowell and Kung-Fu Masters w/Ari Hoenig @ The 55 Bar - 1/27/11

Sean Nowell and Kung-Fu Masters w/Ari Hoenig @ The 55 Bar - 1/27/11

Source: Two for the Show Media

Thursday, January 27th, 2011 KUNG-FU MASTERS with ARI HOENIG @ THE 55 BAR 10pm-1am 55 Christopher St btw/6th and 7th Ave West Village New York 55bar.com Featuring: Sean Nowell—Tenor Sax/Fx/Compositions Randy Runyon—Guitar Art Hirahara—Keys Evan Marien—Electric Bass Ari Hoenig—Drums Mixed Meter Jazz/Funk Explosion WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE KUNG FU MASTERS: “If the Kung Fu Masters were their own country, music making would ...

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Event

The Loove at Coco 66 Presents: AFKA Jazzheads Feat. Ari Hoenig

The Loove at Coco 66 Presents: AFKA Jazzheads Feat. Ari Hoenig

Source: Michael Ricci

Monday, April 5th: The Artists Formerly Known as Jazzheads featuring: Ari Hoenig [drums] Tim Motzer [guitars] Chris Cuzme [saxophone] Ben Bocardo [bass] Jazzheads, the band, featuring master rhythmatist Ari Hoenig, Philly guitarist Tim Motzer, saxophonist/brewer Chris Cuzme, and bassist Ben Bocardo blazed trails early on with collisions of jazz-funk, drumnbass, and world music. Reunited after a 10 year hiatus, the band still mixes it up and causes sparks to fly with a super fun ...

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Performance / Tour

He's Got Rhythm (of Every Variety)

He's Got Rhythm (of Every Variety)

Source: Michael Ricci

Ari Hoenig has a slightly compulsive relationship with his drum set. He doesn’t find the groove and cruise, or at least not for long: he looks for ways to irrigate his band’s music, to get trickles of rhythm seeping into all the cracks.

And at regular intervals he changes the rhythm, pouring it out or stoppering it, turning its emphasis around, subdividing or refocusing it and making it follow the melody.

For the last four years he’s had a regular ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazzheads at Chris' Jazz Cafe on July 24 & 25, 2009

Jazzheads at Chris' Jazz Cafe on July 24 & 25, 2009

Source: All About Jazz

Chris' Jazz Cafe presents JAZZHEADS on Friday & Saturday, July 24 & 25, 2009. Their new CD Avant Wot Not features Philly's own Ari Hoenig on drums, jingle stick & shells, Chris Cuzme on saxophone, & didgeridoo, Tim Motzer on guitar, synth guitar, banjo, & mandolin, and Ben Bocardo on electric bass, & upright bass.

July 24 & 25, 2009 Sets @ 8 & 10 PM Chris' Jazz Cafe 1421 Sansom St ...

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Recording

Ari Hoenig Set to Release "Bert's Playground" in September

Ari Hoenig Set to Release "Bert's Playground" in September

Source: All About Jazz

Artistic inspiration can come from anywhere at all--even from a deceased pet. On Bert's Playground, Ari Hoenig's second recording for Dreyfus Records and his fifth outing overall, the young master drummer starts from a simple appreciation of Bert, his “one and only goldfish, the only fish in a tank full of snails." An ode to individuality, perhaps? An affirmation of the frolicsome spirit that Hoenig brings to every musical encounter? Bert's Playground is all of this and more, a vibrant ...

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Book / Magazine

Photonality Jazz Series Publishes New Book, Wayne Krantz Trio "In=finity+1", with Wayne Krantz, Guitar, Ari Hoenig, Drums and Paul Socolow, Bass from the February 8, 2008 Performance at Chris Jazz Cafe , Philadelphia

Photonality Jazz Series Publishes New Book, Wayne Krantz Trio "In=finity+1",  with Wayne Krantz, Guitar, Ari Hoenig, Drums and Paul Socolow, Bass from the February 8, 2008 Performance at Chris Jazz Cafe , Philadelphia

Source: All About Jazz

"In=finity + 1" with the Wayne Krantz Trio is a visual music composition using the medium of Photonality. Infinity is a contradiction that is an infinite process, unrolling endlessly in time and in space. The music of Wayne Krantz takes one on an endless journey within sound. The trio creates musical sound-scapes that go beyond space and time ...

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Performance / Tour

Wayne Krantz Trio & Ari Hoenig Trio @ Chris' Jazz Cafe on Feb 8th & 9th

Wayne Krantz Trio & Ari Hoenig Trio @ Chris' Jazz Cafe on Feb 8th & 9th

Source: All About Jazz

Friday, February 8th

Guitarist, Wayne Krantz Trio featuring Ari Hoenig $20, 1st show, $15, 2nd show Sets 8 & 10PM

Late Night Drummer, Garrett Brown & His Band $8, 11:30 pm-2am

Saturday, February 9th

Ari Hoenig Trio featuring Francois Moutin on bass and the 2007 Thelonious Monk winner, Tigran Hamasyan on piano $15 door Sets 8 & 10PM

Late Night

Drummer, Garrett ...

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Performance / Tour

The Hoenig-Pilc Project at Chris' Jazz Cafe on November 2 & 3, 2007

The Hoenig-Pilc Project at Chris' Jazz Cafe on November 2 & 3, 2007

Source: All About Jazz

A former French rocket scientist, Jean-Michel Pilc expresses his intellect deeply in his stunning piano playing. His visionary performances have seen tours in 40 countries, more than a dozen recordings and film scores, and collaborations with a daunting spate of musical luminaries, including Roy Haynes, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Kenny Garrett, Lenny White, Chris Potter, John Abercrombie, Lew Soloff, and Harry Belafonte, for whom Pilc worked as musical director and pianist. Pilc's ear for dense harmonics and speed-of-sound technical facility ...

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Performance / Tour

Ari Hoenig Plays Chris' Jazz Cafe In Philadelphia On December 29 & 30, 2006

Ari Hoenig Plays Chris' Jazz Cafe In Philadelphia On December 29 & 30, 2006

Source: All About Jazz

Ari Hoenig, one of the most original drummers in jazz today, will play his hometown on December 29 & 30, 2006. Recently having signed with Dreyfus Records, Hoenig's first release on their label will be coming out in early 2007. The release Inversations, features among others, Jean Michel Pilc on piano and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass, both of whom will be joining Hoenig for his two nights in Philly.

Ari Hoenig - drums Jean Michel Pilc- piano

"He's got Rhythm of every variety" " trickles of rhythm seeping into all the cracks and at regular intervals he changes the rhythm, pouring it out or stoppering it, turning its emphasis around, subdividing or refocusing it and making it follow the melody." —Ben Ratliff New York Times

"Ari Hoenig is one of the most maniacally obsessive, spasmodic and musical drummers in jazz." —-JAZZ TIMES

“Rhythm is a contact sport for Ari Hoenig” “expansive technique, propulsive time and deep musicality" "his style is characterized by a crisp attack and quick attentive reflexes. —-Nate Chinen, NEW YORK TIMES

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Photos

Concerts

Apr 20 Sat

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Algures

Self Produced
2024

buy

Interleaved

OA2 Records
2023

buy

Rule of Thirds

Outside in Music
2023

buy

Introspection

You&Me Music
2023

buy

YOU Are The Song

Justin Time Records
2023

buy

What the World Needs...

Arkadia Records
2023

buy

Mississippi 1955 Confessional

From: Caught in the Rhythm
By Ari Hoenig

Straight No Chaser

From: YOU Are The Song
By Ari Hoenig

Mr. Weird

From: Introspection
By Ari Hoenig

Narcissism

From: Introspection
By Ari Hoenig

World Wind

From: Interleaved
By Ari Hoenig

Birdless

From: Ari's Funhouse
By Ari Hoenig

Against Silence

From: The Poets Are Gathering
By Ari Hoenig

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