Lee Hogans

Lee Hogans' performance career gained notoriety by working with giants in the entertainment industry. He is the trumpeter for comedian Dave Chapelle as a member of the group Fred Yonnet and The Band With No Name. Their performances include Radio City Music Hall and theSNLAfterParty. LeerecentlytouredwithGrammy-winningbassist Marcus Miller on his Renaissance Tour in the US, Europe and Africa. He’s also toured with Funk legend Maceo Parker – where school is always in session! In 2009, he was the trumpeter for Jay-Z’s Blueprint III tour, which included playing at President Barak Obama’s Inaugural Ball. He was a member of legendary pop icon Prince and The NPG from 2007-2009. Other tours include Jill Scott, Sean “Diddy” Combs and The Jonas Brothers. TV performances include Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman, The Today Show, Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly and Michael, and HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

Lee formed his own band Pursuance in 2004. His songs, featuring strong grooves with catchy melodies, encompass the worlds of Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Soul. Stylistic influences range from Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard to James Brown and Run DMC. Lee signed to the Japanese record label P-Vine and released his second album with Pursuance entitled What We Play is Life. WWPIL hit the market in 2015, reaching 2nd place on the Japanese iTunes charts just behind Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Lee Hogans and Pursuance has also dazzled audiences at many destination venues throughout New York and New Jersey, including the famous Blue Note jazz club, where the band was in residency backing up Hip Hop legends like Prodigy, Masta Ace, and Grand Puba.

Gear

Bach Trumpet

Reunion Blues Bags

Shhh Mute

AKG

The Radam Schwartz Organ Big Band: Message from Groove and GW

Read "Message from Groove and GW" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
September 25, 2020

Liner notes notwithstanding, the alliance of a big band and organ is hardly unique—Jimmy Smith, Richard Groove" Holmes and Joey DeFrancesco are organ maestros who have been there and done that; even the great Oscar Peterson once dipped his toes into that water. Having said that, organist Radam Schwartz and his power-laden New Jersey-based ensemble do the concept proud on Message from Groove and GW, burning on all cylinders and swinging as hard and as often as any band has ...