Teaneck Jazz Vocalist Lauren Hooker and Trio Perform Standards and Originals at the Puffin Cultural Forum
Teaneck, NJ, Saturday, November 17 – While often compared to Dianne Reeves, Nancy Wilson, Anita O’Day, Sarah Vaughan or Dinah Washington, Lauren Hooker’s style remains uniquely her own. A jazz vocalist, pianist and educator, Lauren has performed and/or recorded with some of the best in the business including Rufus Reid, Allen Farnham, Bucky Pizzarelli, Reggie Workman and Billy Holiday’s former pianist, Mal Waldron. Her arrangements of jazz standards and original compositions highlight her three-octave vocal range and include lyrics set to instrumentals by Thelonius Monk, Fats Waller, Charles Mingus, Mal Waldron, Wayne Shorter and Vic Juris. She will be joined in her Puffin performance by in-demand guitarist John Hart, award-winning Martin Wind on cello, electric and acoustic bass and US Cultural Ambassador Tim Horner on drums and percussion. $10 suggested donation. Reservations recommended; must be made before 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the performance: [email protected]. Saturday, November 17, 8:00 p.m. The Puffin Cultural Forum is at 20 Puffin Way (off Teaneck Rd.) in Teaneck. Call 201-836-3499.
LAUREN HOOKER (jazz vocalist, pianist and educator), born and raised in Plainfield, NJ, now lives in Teaneck, NJ. A former music teacher at the acclaimed Bank Street School in NYC, Lauren conducts jazz vocal workshops, teacher training symposiums, gives group and private music lessons and performs regularly as a storyteller and musician via her company, Musical Legends, LLC, presenting story theater pieces from around the world to children of all ages. Her debut CD, “Right Where I Belong,” co-produced by bassist Rufus Reid, was awarded Honorable Mention as one of AllAboutJazz's Best Vocal CDs in ’07; she is also included in Royal Stokes’ List of Best Jazz Vocal CDs of ‘10 for “Life of the Music” and won a Jazz Twirlie Award in ‘11 for Jazz Vocals. Lauren has appeared on TV stations including NJN Public Television’s “State of the Arts,” filmed at the Cape May Jazz Festival and on BCAT’s “Brooklyn Sings, Brooklyn Swings Series," shown New York. She has also been featured on numerous radio stations in the U.S. and abroad.
JOHN HART (guitarist) began playing guitar when he was 12, graduated from the University of Miami in 1983, and moved to New York City the following year. Among his most significant associations were those with Terumasa Hino, Larry Goldings, and particularly Jack McDuff, with whom he toured and recorded. In addition, John has been a busy music educator and has performed and/or recorded with many top jazz artists, including Jimmy Smith, Lou Donaldson, James Moody, Mike Mainieri, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and Steve Allen, in addition to leading his own groups. John is one of NYC's most in-demand guitarists and recording artists with 8 releases as a leader and appearances on over 100 CDs as a sidemen.
MARTIN WIND (bassist, composer, arranger and educator), born in Flensburg, Germany, earned a diploma as Orchestra Musician at the Music Conservatory in Cologne, Germany in 1995 and then moved to New York in 1996 to study at New York University with a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service. In 1998 he earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance and Composition studying with Mike Richmond, Jim McNeely, Tom Boras, Mike Holober and Kenny Werner. Since his move to NYC, Martin has performed and recorded with musicians such as Pat Metheny, Hank Jones, Mark Murphy, John Scofield, Sting, Michel Legrand and many others. He has recorded more than 15 albums as a leader/co-leader, won the 3rd prize at the Thelonious Monk Bass Competition in Washington, D.C. (‘96) and received the cultural award of his home state Schleswig- Holstein/Germany (‘00). Since 2007 he has led his own quartet featuring Scott Robinson (reeds), Bill Cunliffe (piano) and Tim Horner (drums).
TIM HORNER (drummer, percussionist) grew up with a musical family in Virginia; by the 4th grade, he was playing violin, viola, and drums in school programs. He has worked and recorded with some of the world's leading jazz talent, including The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, veterans Joe Williams and Hank Jones, and contemporaries including The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Joe Locke, and Wynton Marsalis. Tim has worked extensively in Europe, Asia, and North and South America and, in 2004, traveled through Eastern Europe, Turkey and Cyprus representing the U.S. State Department as a member of “The Jazz Ambassadors.” Since then, he has played with The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, as well as playing in other New York area venues and Europe. Tim graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, studied percussion with Dean Anderson, drums with Keith Copeland and drumming concepts with bassist Miroslav Vitous. He currently teaches jazz ensembles and drumming at New Jersey City University.
The Puffin Cultural Forum is a project of the Puffin Foundation, Ltd. which, through the arts, encourages dialog about issues important to the community. The Puffin Foundation, Ltd. underwrites this and all other Puffin Cultural Forum events and programs in order to make it possible for everyone to attend.
Teaneck, NJ, Saturday, November 17 – While often compared to Dianne Reeves, Nancy Wilson, Anita O’Day, Sarah Vaughan or Dinah Washington, Lauren Hooker’s style remains uniquely her own. A jazz vocalist, pianist and educator, Lauren has performed and/or recorded with some of the best in the business including Rufus Reid, Allen Farnham, Bucky Pizzarelli, Reggie Workman and Billy Holiday’s former pianist, Mal Waldron. Her arrangements of jazz standards and original compositions highlight her three-octave vocal range and include lyrics set to instrumentals by Thelonius Monk, Fats Waller, Charles Mingus, Mal Waldron, Wayne Shorter and Vic Juris. She will be joined in her Puffin performance by in-demand guitarist John Hart, award-winning Martin Wind on cello, electric and acoustic bass and US Cultural Ambassador Tim Horner on drums and percussion. $10 suggested donation. Reservations recommended; must be made before 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the performance: [email protected]. Saturday, November 17, 8:00 p.m. The Puffin Cultural Forum is at 20 Puffin Way (off Teaneck Rd.) in Teaneck. Call 201-836-3499.
LAUREN HOOKER (jazz vocalist, pianist and educator), born and raised in Plainfield, NJ, now lives in Teaneck, NJ. A former music teacher at the acclaimed Bank Street School in NYC, Lauren conducts jazz vocal workshops, teacher training symposiums, gives group and private music lessons and performs regularly as a storyteller and musician via her company, Musical Legends, LLC, presenting story theater pieces from around the world to children of all ages. Her debut CD, “Right Where I Belong,” co-produced by bassist Rufus Reid, was awarded Honorable Mention as one of AllAboutJazz's Best Vocal CDs in ’07; she is also included in Royal Stokes’ List of Best Jazz Vocal CDs of ‘10 for “Life of the Music” and won a Jazz Twirlie Award in ‘11 for Jazz Vocals. Lauren has appeared on TV stations including NJN Public Television’s “State of the Arts,” filmed at the Cape May Jazz Festival and on BCAT’s “Brooklyn Sings, Brooklyn Swings Series," shown New York. She has also been featured on numerous radio stations in the U.S. and abroad.
JOHN HART (guitarist) began playing guitar when he was 12, graduated from the University of Miami in 1983, and moved to New York City the following year. Among his most significant associations were those with Terumasa Hino, Larry Goldings, and particularly Jack McDuff, with whom he toured and recorded. In addition, John has been a busy music educator and has performed and/or recorded with many top jazz artists, including Jimmy Smith, Lou Donaldson, James Moody, Mike Mainieri, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and Steve Allen, in addition to leading his own groups. John is one of NYC's most in-demand guitarists and recording artists with 8 releases as a leader and appearances on over 100 CDs as a sidemen.
MARTIN WIND (bassist, composer, arranger and educator), born in Flensburg, Germany, earned a diploma as Orchestra Musician at the Music Conservatory in Cologne, Germany in 1995 and then moved to New York in 1996 to study at New York University with a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service. In 1998 he earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance and Composition studying with Mike Richmond, Jim McNeely, Tom Boras, Mike Holober and Kenny Werner. Since his move to NYC, Martin has performed and recorded with musicians such as Pat Metheny, Hank Jones, Mark Murphy, John Scofield, Sting, Michel Legrand and many others. He has recorded more than 15 albums as a leader/co-leader, won the 3rd prize at the Thelonious Monk Bass Competition in Washington, D.C. (‘96) and received the cultural award of his home state Schleswig- Holstein/Germany (‘00). Since 2007 he has led his own quartet featuring Scott Robinson (reeds), Bill Cunliffe (piano) and Tim Horner (drums).
TIM HORNER (drummer, percussionist) grew up with a musical family in Virginia; by the 4th grade, he was playing violin, viola, and drums in school programs. He has worked and recorded with some of the world's leading jazz talent, including The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, veterans Joe Williams and Hank Jones, and contemporaries including The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Joe Locke, and Wynton Marsalis. Tim has worked extensively in Europe, Asia, and North and South America and, in 2004, traveled through Eastern Europe, Turkey and Cyprus representing the U.S. State Department as a member of “The Jazz Ambassadors.” Since then, he has played with The Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, as well as playing in other New York area venues and Europe. Tim graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, studied percussion with Dean Anderson, drums with Keith Copeland and drumming concepts with bassist Miroslav Vitous. He currently teaches jazz ensembles and drumming at New Jersey City University.
The Puffin Cultural Forum is a project of the Puffin Foundation, Ltd. which, through the arts, encourages dialog about issues important to the community. The Puffin Foundation, Ltd. underwrites this and all other Puffin Cultural Forum events and programs in order to make it possible for everyone to attend.
