Derrick Hodge

Last updated
Derrick Hodge
Born (1979-07-05) July 5, 1979 (age 43)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres Jazz, hip hop, urban contemporary
Occupation(s)Musician, record producer, Composer
Instrument(s)Bass guitar, double bass
Years active2000–present
Labels Blue Note
Website derrickhodge.com

Derrick Hodge (born July 5, 1979) is a composer, musical director, bandleader, producer bassist and advocate. To date he has been awarded two Grammys, named a Sundance Composer Fellow, received a Motif Award; one of world's highest honors for Child Advocacy, and his playing on Common's BE has been recognized as one of top 20 basslines in Hip Hop History.

Contents

Hodge has played on some of music’s most iconic albums, written and performed orchestral arrangements and compositions, scored film and television work and created evocative sonic installations for prestigious cultural institutions, all alongside his work as an activist in the field of emerging young musicians.

As a performer, Hodge has founded and played in bands and groups as diverse and as influential as R+R=Now, the Robert Glasper Experiment and The Blue Note All Stars, as a producer he has collaborated with icons including Quincy Jones, Don Was and Common and as Musical Director he has worked with luminaries including Yasiin Bey, Nas, and notably held the position with Maxwell from 2009 to 2019. Growing up just outside Philadelphia, Hodge’s talent was quickly recognized by members of the city’s Neo-soul movement, and whilst still in college he became the bass player and Musical Director of choice for pioneers including Jill Scott, Maxwell, Floetry, Nas, Common, James Posyer and Musiq Soulchild. Simultaneously he was forging a career in jazz circles with other musicians including Terence Blanchard, Donald Byrd, Mulgrew Miller and Bootsie Barnes.

As a Blue Note Recording Artist Hodge has released three critically acclaimed solo projects: Live Today (2013), The Second (2016), and Color Of Noize (2020)

In 2014 Hodge became the first Black composer to compose Hip Hop for the National Symphony Orchestra when he acted as Orchestral Arranger and Music Director for the iconic event “20th anniversary celebration of Illmatic which saw Nas perform the album with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Reineke. The event - which was named by FENDER as one of the top moments in Hip Hop history - was also the first time Hip Hop was ever performed by the National Symphony Orchestra and at the Kennedy Center.

Career

Hodge was signed to Blue Note Records after meeting record producer and Blue Note president Don Was in September 2011. On August 6, 2013, his solo album, Live Today, was released with guest appearances by Common ("Live Today"), vocalist Alan Hampton ("Holding Onto You"), Robert Glasper ("Live Today"), Chris Dave, Mark Colenburg, Travis Sayles, Keyon Harrold, and Aaron Parks. He has also worked with Floetry, Osvaldo Golijov, Anthony Hamilton, Gerald Levert, Donnie McClurkin, James Moore, Mos Def, Musiq Soulchild, Q-Tip, Jill Scott, Timbaland, and Kanye West. He has toured and recorded with Clark Terry, Mulgrew Miller, Terell Stafford, and Terence Blanchard. [1]

He appeared on Flow [2] and A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) (2007), which were nominated for four Grammy Awards, winning one for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. He also appeared on rapper Common's albums Be and Finding Forever , which won a Grammy Award. Hodge was musical director for R&B singer Maxwell from 2009 to 2013, and was featured as bassist on Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night , which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums as well as winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2010. Hodge won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2013 with the Robert Glasper Experiment for Black Radio and in 2023 with Black Radio 3 .

Hodge was a contributing composer for the musical score of When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts , an HBO documentary produced by Spike Lee, aired in August 2006, as well as choral arranger for the ending credits of Miracle at St. Anna also directed by Lee. He was sole composer of the score for the documentary film Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans [3] directed by Dawn Logsdon, written by Lolis Eric Elie and released in 2008. Other film credits include music composer for The Recruiter directed by Edet Belzberg, The Black Candle directed by M. K. Asante, Jr., as well as scores for director and playwright David E. Talbert. "Infinite Reflections" was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and arranged for small brass ensemble

Discography

As leader

As group

Blue Note All Stars

As sideman

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musiq Soulchild</span> American hip hop and R&B singer and songwriter

Taalib Hassan Johnson, better known by the stage name Musiq Soulchild or simply Musiq is an American singer and songwriter whose style blends R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and gospel influences fused with hip hop. Soulchild has released several successful studio albums that went platinum in the United States.

<i>Juslisen</i> 2002 studio album by Musiq

Juslisen is the second studio album by American singer Musiq Soulchild, simply known at the time as Musiq. It was released on May 7, 2002 under the Def Soul subsidiary of Def Jam Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, where it spent 35 weeks before falling off on February 22, 2003. It was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terence Blanchard</span> American trumpeter and composer

Terence Oliver Blanchard is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed on more than fifty. A frequent collaborator with director Spike Lee, he has been nominated for two Academy Awards for composing the scores for Lee's films BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods (2020). He has won five Grammy Awards from fourteen nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Glasper</span> American jazz pianist, record producer, and songwriter

Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won five Grammy Awards and received eleven nominations across eight categories.

<i>Luvanmusiq</i> 2007 studio album by Musiq Soulchild

Luvanmusiq is the fourth release by the singer-songwriter Musiq Soulchild, the first under his contract with Atlantic Records. The lead single, "B.U.D.D.Y.", was released to U.S. radio in late November 2006; it reached number two on the R&B chart, and number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following its release, it entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 1, with 149,774 copies sold. During the same week, the second single, "Teachme", entered the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 54, and rose to number five in its thirteenth week. "Teachme" also entered the Hot 100 at number 92 on the issue date, May 26, 2007. By July 11, 2007, the album had sold 789,377 copies in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essence Music Festival</span> Annual music festival

The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It became the largest African-American culture and music event in the United States. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana since 1995 except in 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans and 2020 when it was cancelled. A spinoff iteration of the festival was also held in Durban, South Africa in November 2016. The festival features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only superlounge stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50th Annual Grammy Awards</span> American music award ceremony

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonies were televised in the US on CBS; however, as has become the custom, most of the awards were handed out during a pre-telecast portion of the show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. Two nights prior to the show Aretha Franklin was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Up Everybody (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes song)</span>

"Wake Up Everybody" is an R&B song written by John Whitehead, Gene McFadden and Victor Carstarphen.

Carvin & Ivan are a production duo from Philadelphia consisting of producers and songwriters Ivan "Orthodox" Barias and Carvin "Ransum" Haggins. Initially starting out as solo hip hop artists, Haggins and Barias moved into production and songwriting. They have written and produced songs for Jazmine Sullivan, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Justin Timberlake, Mario, Chris Brown, Ledisi, Raheem DeVaughn, Keyshia Cole, Jaheim, Estelle, Floetry, Skillz, Ace Hood, Rick Ross and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">52nd Annual Grammy Awards</span> Music awards in the United States

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Nominations announced on December 2, 2009. The show was moved to January to avoid competing against the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast. The remaining awards were given during the un-televised portion of the ceremony which preceded the broadcast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JR Hutson</span> Musical artist

JR Hutson is an American record producer, executive producer, songwriter and talent developer. He has collaborated with several notable artists including Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Stevie Wonder, George Duke, Trick Daddy, Anthony Hamilton, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway, Earth Wind & Fire, Wayman Tisdale and Childish Gambino. Hutson has been awarded Gold and Platinum records. He has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards. He is currently producing and developing talent.

The 2003 Soul Train Music Awards were held on March 1, 2003, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The show was co-hosted by Queen Latifah and Arsenio Hall.

<i>MusiqInTheMagiq</i> 2011 studio album by Musiq Soulchild

MusiqInTheMagiq is the sixth studio album by the R&B singer Musiq Soulchild. It was released on April 29, 2011, on Atlantic Records. The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at number eight, selling 34,000 copies in its first week. As of 2016, the album has sold over 111,000 copies.

<i>Black Radio</i> 2012 studio album by the Robert Glasper Experiment

Black Radio is the fifth studio album by American jazz pianist/hip hop producer Robert Glasper, recorded with his electric quartet, the Robert Glasper Experiment. Released on February 28, 2012, on the Blue Note label, the album won Best R&B Album at the 55th Grammy Awards and also received a nomination for Best R&B Performance from the album cut "Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)", which featured R&B singer Ledisi, in February 2013.

<i>3ChordFold</i> 2013 studio album by Terrace Martin

3ChordFold is the debut studio album by American producer Terrace Martin. The album was released on August 13, 2013, by AKAI Music and Empire Distribution. The album features guest appearances from Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Problem, Musiq Soulchild, Robert Glasper, James Fauntleroy, Focus..., Wiz Khalifa, Brevi, Ty Dolla Sign, Snoop Dogg and Lalah Hathaway.

Ivan Barias is part of the Philadelphia production duo Carvin & Ivan. Initially starting out as a solo hip hop artist, he moved into production and songwriting. He has written and produced songs for artists including Jazmine Sullivan, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Justin Timberlake, Mario, Chris Brown, Ledisi, Raheem DeVaughn, Keyshia Cole, Jaheim, Estelle, Floetry, Skillz, Ace Hood, and Rick Ross.

Qmillion, is an American record producer, mix engineer, composer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Qmillion's achievement for recording and mixing recording artist Robert Glasper's critically acclaimed Black Radio album, gained him a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 55th Grammy Awards in 2013. and most recently nominated for Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Black Radio III by Robert Glasper on the 2023 Grammys.

<i>Covered</i> (Robert Glasper album) 2015 studio album by The Robert Glasper Trio

Covered: Recorded Live at Capitol Studios is the seventh album by American musician Robert Glasper. It was released on June 16, 2015, via Blue Note Records. Recording sessions took place at Capitol Studios in Hollywood on the 2nd and 3rd December 2014. Production was handled by Robert Glasper himself, with Don Was and Nicole Hegeman serving as executive producers. It features song covers of artists like John Legend, Radiohead and Joni Mitchell with a few original tracks mixed in. Harry Belafonte, Iskinder "Skindoo" Adefris-Yaxley, Josiah Xavier Brown, Musiq Soulchild, Ralphie "Hoop" Richardson, Riley Kirkland Glasper and Samuel Josef Brown have provided special guest appearances on the project.

Mark Colenburg, is an American drummer and percussionist.

<i>Black Radio III</i> 2022 studio album by Robert Glasper

Black Radio 3 is an album by American musician Robert Glasper. It was released on February 25, 2022, via Loma Vista Recordings, serving as the follow-ups to 2012's Black Radio and 2013's Black Radio 2. It was produced by Glasper along with co-producers Terrace Martin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jahi Sundance, and mixed by Qmillion. It features guest appearances from Amir Sulaiman, Ant Clemons, Big K.R.I.T., BJ the Chicago Kid, Common, D Smoke, Esperanza Spalding, Gregory Porter, H.E.R., India.Arie, Jennifer Hudson, Killer Mike, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Meshell Ndegeocello, Musiq Soulchild, PJ Morton, Posdnuos, Q-Tip, Tiffany Gouché, Ty Dolla $ign and Yebba.

References

  1. Ouellette, Dan (4 November 2006). "Blanchard goes with the flow". Billboard. p. 88.
  2. Olson, Paul (6 June 2005). "Terence Blanchard: Flow (2005)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  3. "Faubourg Treme - The Untold Story of Black New Orleans". Tremedoc.com. Retrieved 2011-07-10.