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Laurence Hobgood brings his 7piece ensemble to Union Arts Center for 't e s s e t e r r a' debut / lohud.

Grammy Award-winning pianist/composer Laurence Hobgood has accompanied vocalists, collaborated with a poet laureate and fronted his own jazz trio. Now Hobgood is headed in yet another direction: Fusing his trio with a string quartet to create what poet Robert Pinsky calls "the adventure of unlikely mergings." On his new CD, Hobgood reinterprets standards by Jimmy Webb, Hoagy Carmichael, Paul McCartney and others with instrumental arrangements replacing the lyrics that have become so familiar. Hobgood will bring the seven-piece ensemble to Union Arts Center in Sparkill on April 27 for a concert to debut his new CD, "t e s s e t e r r a." The recording's title refers to the sonic textures expressed by music.

The concert is presented by Hobgood and Circumstantial Productions, whose founder, Richard Connolly of West Nyack, is a writer, editor and publisher who has produced several of Hobgood's recordings. Hobgood, former accompanist/arranger for vocalist Kurt Elling, has been widely praised for his singular touch and tone, and his ability to bring something fresh to even the most timeworn Christmas classics.

Read the lohud Q&A with Hobgood about his new project