The Songs of Harry Hochman
In music, every musician and composer is a continuation of the past and a seed of the future. Harry Hochman has embraced the personal adventure before him to join in the legacy of the great tradition of American songwriting. The beauty of the path of a songwriter is it is a genre of music that is eternal. Throughout history the craft of songs has entertained, educated, documented life, and preserved countless stories of many souls and places in time. Hochman tips his hat to the influences that nourished his muse. He grew up in Detroit listening to some of the most memorable folk, rock and R&B musicians of the twentieth century. His style is personal, non-imitative, and unpretentious with songs that display his efforts to create content that is with emotionally and intellectually balanced. Hochman's music has evolved from this Zen-like practice of encountering self through experimentation and witnessing. To quote Harry, "Whatever I do, no matter the plan...wherever I go, there I am." His playful and open approach with the gestalt of the songs as they reveal themselves surely is inspiring and will nourish the seeds of more great songs to come.
RECORDINGS
INSIDE OUT is Harry Hochman's soon to be released debut album featuring eleven thoughtful and provocative songs reflecting different emotions and life situations. His title track "Inside Out" rues the disintegration of civil society, which he describes as “burning from the inside out.” ”It’s a self-inflicted wound,” he says. “No one took us over; a whole lot of people just lost interest in reality and community.” “Midnight Crow” captures the dead-end feeling of fruitlessly chasing one’s shadow, while “All This Time” speaks to his frustration when words fail: “Is it so hard to read my mind, after all this time?” “Facing the Past”, with its haunting keyboard/strings intro, invokes the wistful feeling of looking for lessons in your old haunts, while “Wherever I Go” is an ironic reminder of the maxim that you can’t run away from yourself. “Whole Lot of Nowhere”, with its dreamy desert vibe, expresses the isolation of boondocking in his old Airstream on the edge of city life. “I think it's way more lonely listening to the distant hum of the city than when I’m off in the wilderness,” he says. The album concludes with “New Wrapper”. Typifying his sharp lyrics, it bemoans a friend’s inability to see the same old toxic candy under its new wrapper.
Harry’s close association with veteran LA musician Chris Murphy drove the creation of INSIDE OUT, which Murphy produced and arranged, and features his virtuoso violin and mandolin skills. A bevy of top talent supported the effort, including guitarist Nate LaPointe [Cubensis, Bobby Womack], drummer Michael Jerome [Richard Thompson, John Cale]; and bassist Alex Balderston, who’s worked with Beyonce and Selena Gomez. Critical contributions on several tracks were made by Blues Traveler guitarist Chan Kinchla, as well as legendary rock icons Herb Pedersen on vocals and Brian Auger on keyboards. The album was recorded at the Sonic Boom Room in Venice, CA, with expert mixing and additional production by veteran musician and producer Kevin Jarvis, and the final mastering by Dave Schultz at D2 Mastering.
Back Row: Michael Jerome, Nate LaPointe Front Row: Alex Balderston, Chris Murphy, Harry Hochman Location: Sonic Boom Room, Venice, CA