Derrick Hodge: Live At 92Y Tribeca

WBGO | By Patrick Jarenwattananon

Published October 26, 2011 at 8:00 PM EDT

What would it sound like if a jazz bassist who scores films and arranges for live hip-hop and R&B were to put together his own record?

Bassist Derrick Hodge plays mean straight-ahead jazz on the acoustic bass — notably, he served in Terence Blanchard's quintet. But he's also a film composer like Blanchard, and the electric bassist of choice for many a hip-hop or R&B artist. (He's currently the musical director for Maxwell.) His unclassifiable debut album, Live Today, is soon to be released; it features an even wider palette of references, including gospel, singer-songwriter music and funk. The band he's assembled for this occasion can follow him to all those places.

On Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011, The Checkout: Live From 92Y Tribecapaired the bands of Aaron Parks and Derrick Hodge in a double bill. The concert was broadcast on air via WBGO and in an online video webcast at this page on NPR Music, with live online chat. For more information about this series and the full concert archive, visit npr.org/checkoutlive.

Set List

All compositions by Derrick Hodge, unless otherwise noted.

"The Real"

"Fall" (W. Shorter)

"Dances Of Ancestors"

Solo Bass Improvisation

"New Orleans"

"Solitude"

"Holding Onto You" (with Alan Hampton) [video highlight]

"Gritty"

Personnel

Derrick Hodge, electric bass

Kris Bowers, piano

Dontae Winslow, trumpet

Jamire Williams, drums

with Alan Hampton, guitar/vocals

Credits: Josh Jackson, producer and host. David Tallacksen, mix engineer. Michael Downes, assistant.Recorded Oct. 26, 2011 at 92Y Tribeca in New York, N.Y. Photo by John Rogers for NPR / johnrogersnyc.com