Hoke, Jim

He is a multi-instrumentalist known for performances as a saxophonist, harmonica player, flautist, pedal steel guitarist, composer, music director, producer and arranger who began his life in music in Schenectady, New York.

He performed in some of his local rock and roll bands and then travelled to Oklahoma where he became a studio musician and began looking at the compositional and arrangement side of things.

From Oklahoma he went south to California and continued his session musician work in Santa Barbara and arranging for bands such as The R&B Bombers. While there he became associated with the New Rhythm & Blues Quartet (NRBQ), who he had first become aware of while in New York and he has worked with them ever since in the studio and on tours.

He then moved to Nashville in 1985 and, besides his work as a busy session musician, formed the ensembles Aqua Velvet, the Jim Hoke Nonet, Hoke and His Orchestra Bop and Otto. He has also performed as a member of Thelonius Moog, made symphonic arrangements for use in symphony pops concerts and composed, produced and directed the public radio series Webb Wilder, Last of the Full Grown Men.

Working with many artists through the course of his career he has been heard performing with/arranging and producing for Al Anderson, Joan Baez, Felix Cavaliere, Kenny Chesney, Guy Clark, The Divinyls, Crystal Gayle, Vince Gill, Nanci Griffith, Don Henley, Faith Hill, Janis Ian, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Wynonna Judd, Mark Knopfler, The Mavericks, Gwen McRae, Aaron Neville, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, REM, Kenny Rogers, Paul Rogers, John Sebastian, Billy Joe Shaver, Donna Summer, Greg “Fingers” Taylor, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Andy Williams, Don Williams and Trisha Yearwood to name just a few.

A very small selection of the many albums he has appeared on include his own Hoke & The Jump Daddies, Bop by Hoke & His Orchestra Bop as well as Splash of Aqua Velvet by Aqua Velvet, Don’t Stop the Carnival by Jimmy Buffett, LegacyHymns & Faith by Amy Grant, Very Best Of… by Emmylou Harris, My Lives by Billy Joel, Tangerine by David Mead, Dummy by NBRQ and Face the Promise by Bob Seger. Today he continues his work as a session musician and with his various ensembles as well as composing and arranging music for television and commercials.

Here he is on flute with Thelonius Moog performing “Hocus Pocus”…

Sources:

Hoke, Jim

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