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Peter Hostage

Peter Hostage is a jazz/blues pianist/vocalist from New Hampshire, USA. He cites Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Dr. John, Bill Evans, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner and Louis Jordan among his major influences.

Mr. Hostage taught himself guitar and piano starting at the age of 10. The Beatles and Bob Dylan were his first major influences, but he was soon taken with the blues of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, Paul Butterfield, Robert Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt.

Peter started gigging in his early teens as a solo guitarist/vocalist playing country blues at coffeehouses and house parties. That led to opportunities to play guitar and piano with local blues and R&B “bar” bands, though he was still under age for those kinds of gigs!

Peter attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, as a piano/composition major from 1978 until 1982. There he found a deep appreciation for jazz and improvisational music, and started performing jazz along with blues and classic R&B.

Mr. Hostage formed his own rock and R&B band in the early '80s, and in 1986 released his first album “Motion,” a collection of original “blue-eyed soul” songs. By the late '80s he had also started performing with his jazz trio, and gigging with some area jazz big bands.

In 1999 Peter released his second original album, “Do That!”with his jazz trio. In 2001 he put together a 9 piece swing and jump blues band called the Peter Hostage Situation, and released an album, “Swingin' the Blues,” of mostly original songs penned by Mr. Hostage. “American Standard Blue,” released in 2008, features jazz standards and blues covers, performed with his working band at that time.

In 2012, Peter recorded an album of “songs from the birth of jazz and blues,” called “The Wayback Machine.” On this recording, Mr. Hostage plays all of the instruments including piano, bass, organ drums, guitar and vocals.

Mr. Hostage continues “blurring the line between jazz and blues” with his newest (2018) release “Uptown,” on which he again performs all of the instruments. This album of 12 songs is written, arranged, recorded, produced and mastered by Peter in his modest home studio.

Mr. Hostage is a full-time music instructor with over 50 students per week, so touring is not an option right now. Instead, he will embark on his “World Wide Web” tour with live streaming concerts from his home studio broadcast to Facebook Live and concert streaming websites. He is also writing songs for a new release planned for 2019.

Tags

"Peter Hostage's Uptown is a lively and bold jazz-blues fusion record.

The first song on the album, "It Ain't What It Ain't," instantly imbues the listener with Hostage's signature groove. The unfazed and nonchalant refrain of "I am what I am/I ain't what I ain't" in this track has a pleasing, catchy, and lighthearted vibe that is really memorable. It is overflowing with flirtatious humor and a blend of vitality that is infectiously cheerful and entertaining." - (Jazz Corner, May 8, 2018)

"Peter Hostage is a jazz artist with a classy, contemporary sound. His latest release, Uptown, is a thought-provoking album that blurs the line between genres as diverse as jazz and blues.

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

Berklee College of Music, 1982, Gigged throughout New England playing jazz, blues, rock, classical and more for over 40 years. I teach piano, guitar, voice, drums, electric bass, mandolin, banjo, ukelele and harmonica. visit: https://peterhostagemusiclessons.com

Mose Allison
piano and vocals
Ray Charles
piano and vocals
B.B. King
guitar, electric
Dr. John
piano
The Beatles
band / ensemble / orchestra

Music

Videos

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