Hank Hehmsoth

Born: September 6, 1952

Hank Hehmsoth: Jazz Pianist, Composer, Visual Artist & Scholar

Where sound meets color, and jazz meets innovation—you’ll find Hank Hehmsoth.

A trailblazing pianist, composer, visual artist, and scholar, Hank’s career bridges performance, cultural exchange, and creative exploration. Whether on stage, on canvas, or in the studio, his work shapes jazz into new forms

Recorded Works & Global Reach

Hank’s catalog stretches from intricate solo pieces to bold ensemble projects. Each album reflects his dedication to jazz as an evolving, living art. See discography below. ten: Hank Hehmsoth – Piano

Time Space Fabrics: Expanding Boundaries in Jazz and Art

Good Mood Caf��: Jazz Blend vol. 2

By Hank Hehmsoth

Label: ? 2025 Compigram
Released: 2025
Track listing: Waltz for Carmen

Morning Coffee: Background Jazz Instrumentals, Vol. 2

By Hank Hehmsoth

Label: Compigram
Released: 2025
Track listing: A New Day

Soft & Dreamy Indie Cover Songs

By Hank Hehmsoth

Label: Compigram
Released: 2025
Track listing: Fields of Gold

Charles Rangel: Harlem��s Congressman, Jazz��s Quiet Witness

by Hank Hehmsoth
June 5, 2025

Charles Rangel was more than a Congressman. He was Harlem's heartbeat--a living archive of its culture, community, and sound. In the National Jazz Museum in Harlem's Harlem Speaks Oral History series, Rangel reflects on growing up with the music, the icons who defined a generation, and how jazz was inseparable from Black life in 20th-century America. ...

Unearthed & Unforgettable: The Lost Tapes of Just Jazz

by Hank Hehmsoth
May 9, 2025

Rediscovering Just Jazz: A Lost Archive of Jazz Legends Returns Unearthed after more than 50 years, the Just Jazz video archives represent one of the most significant rediscoveries in jazz history. Produced by NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern and originally broadcast in 1970 on WTTW Chicago, these rare recordings capture intimate, electrifying performances by some of ...

New Releases From Dreyer, Sarian, Murray, Lovano And More

by Bob Osborne
May 1, 2025

The importance of Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey on the world of jazz cannot be understated. Some of the most important music in the history of the music was recorded there. New recordings from the famous studio are featured on this show. My examination of the work of Ivo Perelman on Leo Records continues. ...

The History of Jazz Drums: An Archival Treasure Rediscovered

by Hank Hehmsoth
April 2, 2025

In the vast landscape of jazz history, few archives offer the depth and insight found in The History of Jazz Drums--an extraordinary 8-part radio series recorded in 1989. Featuring compelling conversations between Mel Lewis (1929-1990), a master drummer whose swing propelled The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra and Loren Schoenberg, senior scholar at the National Jazz Museum ...

The Visual Language of Jazz

by Hank Hehmsoth
March 25, 2025

For decades, my creative journey as a jazz pianist and composer has been deeply intertwined with visual art. Each piece I create is rooted in the rhythms, harmonies, and improvisational spirit of jazz--transforming musical ideas into vivid, abstract forms. This curated gallery reflects that intersection of sound and sight. From album covers and performance ...

Spencer Starnes

Born: December 2, 1952

Spencer Starnes, was a Seguin native who moved to Austin in the 1970s and became a renowned bass player and studio engineer. Born Cameron Spencer Starnes III, he came from a musical family. His father, a World War II veteran who survived the Bataan Death March, had played trumpet for swing-jazz bandleader Tommy Dorsey and ran a music store in Seguin. After stints as a student at Stephen F. Austin University, Texas State and the University of Texas, Starnes began playing music regularly in Austin in the early ‘70s.

Spencer began his career in Austin with Ray Benson’s western swing band, Asleep at the Wheel