Cheryl's new album, "Living Off The Grid", featuring Dee Daniels, Stu Hamm, Pat Mastelotto, John Stowell, Jim Cox, and many more; jump in! Reminiscent of Steely Dan, Herbie Hancock and Diana Krall; this is a great blend of high energy jazz meets rock meets R&B!
REVIEW by Mike New: "LIVING OFF THE GRID - Adventures on An Imperiled Planet" - The CHERYL HODGE Group
While in Italy a few years ago I had the opportunity to see Michelangelo’s David. I was awestruck by the detail of the hands, feet, muscles… all sculpted in marble with dramatic realism. But it wasn’t until I stepped back and absorbed the full statue that I felt the overwhelming energy of this incredible work. Such is the case with Living Off The Grid, the latest collection from The Cheryl Hodge Band. Each of the six tracks is its own work of art, a masterful combination of smart lyrics, outstanding musicianship, and exceptional sound quality. Taken individually, these tracks are arguably among the most impressive music to come along lately. But as with David, it is essential to step back and experience the entire work. This is an album where the parts come together to deliver something very powerful. When you listen to the album in one sitting, you’ll find Cheryl has taken you on a remarkable, rather moving journey she calls “Adventures on an Imperiled Planet.” It’s not what you think. This is not a “message piece” filled with dire predictions and preachy admonitions. Quite the opposite. The lyrics are so cleverly crafted and enjoyable, a casual listener might not even notice the subtext sitting right there in camouflage. Individual tracks stand alone, never suggesting they are part of a larger story. Start at the beginning with a copy of the lyrics in hand (printed on the CD jacket), and listen nonstop to the end. This is a brilliant work. As with Cheryl’s past albums, Living Off The Grid maintains a great deal of musical continuity – with one noteworthy departure. The title track kicks off the theme with an enchanting ditty about ditching the mainstream, set to a highly listenable arrangement that is vaguely reminiscent of Steely Dan. And while every track on the album has a unique personality, each tune feels like it belongs in the family. Until the final cut, that is. Blue Hawaiian Moonlight is different. Originating from the 1920s, it is the only song not written by Cheryl Hodge, and its musical style is a dramatic departure from the rest of the album. Cheryl sings backup as part of the “Luau Girlz,” relinquishing the lead vocal to Sherrie Montgomery. Yet this quirky little tune absolutely belongs in the family; in fact, it is the perfect – ingenious – ending. An amazing group of top-notch musical talent joins Cheryl Hodge on this album. Trumpet hero David Longoria and jazz guitarist John Stowell swap riffs with Cheryl on Senegal. Stu Hamm (former bassist for Joe Satriani and Steve Vai) lays the foundation for High Noon at the Earth’s OK Corral. Jim Cox (currently on tour with James Taylor) injects some tasty synth runs in Senegal and Darryl’s Organic Farm (which also features Pat Mastelotto, drummer for King Crimson). And then there’s vocal legend Dee Daniels on One Step at a Time, which practically jumps off the album screaming “Hit R&B Single!” This gorgeous duet between Dee Daniels and Cheryl Hodge is all about strength and resolve, and these two voices will make you believe anything is possible. Every aspect of this track is outstanding. If you’re looking for one song to download, start here. By the way, this album sounds good. Audio quality has always been very important to me, and I have to say the mixing and sound engineering here is top notch. Play it on your best set of speakers." Other news: "GUIDE TO RECOVERY" (Indigo) was recently NUMBER ONE in the WORLD For JAZZ , "I FEEL WHAT I FEEL" was #1 for R&B, "CARA MIA"was recently at the top of the Latin charts in the U.S. atNumberOneMusic.com
From Grammy Winner Ricky Kej: "The first strains of Blessed be the day transported me back to New Orleans. The vocal modulation, saxophone and mellow guitar are really to die for. The songs on this record are so neat in rendition; keeping the energy that kind of jazz must radiate, yet getting every shred of emotion straight up – beautifully evident in the cover of Babylon Sisters and Infant eyes. One day when I wasn’t looking is a classy album and I couldn’t leave New Orleans because The Cheryl Hodge Band kept me there, spellbound!" - by Grammy Winner .The vocal modulation, saxophone and mellow guitar are really to die for"
"Power, grace, and sultry bluesiness! From the very opening of ' Blessed Be The Day ' to the last notes of ' Infant Eyes ' Cheryl Hodge sings with such a wonderful combination of power, grace, and sultry bluesiness . The band is solid and hot featuring Josh Cook on sax. If you wanted to introduce someone to the whole world of jazz vocal music, this would be a great place to start ! ' Babylon Sisters ' and ' It Ain't Necessarily So ' are favorites of mine . The entire album is very well produced and recorded ! Bravo !" - by Music Lover
"With her most recent album release, INDIGO, talented vocalist/composer Cheryl Hodge shines on this fantastic jazz performance. Hodge’s gift of music is thoroughly enjoyed with her vocals that are polished and sophisticated. Feel the expression and emotion pouring out as she delivers an amazing collection of songs. Listeners will notice the outstanding support from band members as they blend balance and texture while adding a cool swing feel with soft brushes on drums, sweet guitar riffs, or electric piano. Let the melodic sax riffs carry you away on GUIDE TO RECOVERY. If you are looking to hear jazz with refreshing vocals, then you will definitely want to add Cheryl Hodge‘s INDIGO to your collection." - RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
WINNER OF BEST JAZZ SONG, 2013 Hollywood Music and Media Awards for TREE PEOPLE, from her 2013 album,"One Day When I Wasn't Looking"
NOMINATED FOR BEST JAZZ SONG, 2016 HOLYWOOD MUSIC IN MEDIA AWARDS, for her newest jazz hit, SENEGAL, from the album,"LIVING OFF THE GRID"
!
Join the fan club at Reverbnation.comThe CHERYL HODGE Group's "LIVING OFF THE GRID" is presently on the Top 10 INDIE Charts, there.
Submitted for a 2014 Grammy nomination, the breakthrough album contains the WINNER, BEST JAZZ SONG for 2013, for her song "Tree People" (about the endangered tribe in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil), at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Other hits include Cara Mia, Blessed Be the Day & Ain't Necessarily So.
The song INDIGO is a tribute to Miles Davis. It was nominated for BEST JAZZ SONG, 2010 at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards.
Listen to INDIGO, by clicking on this award...
CHERYL'S New book with companion warm-ups and CDs: "Alzheimer's, Dementia & the Healing Power of Music: Singalong Therapy"
This is an EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE (PROVEN) technique for helping your loved one, or patients!There's a companion recording for this workbook & 27 songs. There are logging pages for you to track their improvement. While there are no guarantees here, I've had tremendous success with this. It's especially useful if the person or people you are working with have always enjoyed music and singing. This has been a joyful project; and I'm so happy with the success I've had with these techniques. What happens is that the electrical pulses created by the synapses when singing break up the bad protein strands in the brain; reopening the neural pathways. The result is a regaining of linquistic abilities and even memory. One Alzheimer's patient could not even form words when we started. Now she tells me long stories in an eloquent fashion, after only 6 weeks! This is something you can do with your loved one, or in groups of Dementia patients. $29.95 for hardcover w/CDs. $19.95 for ebook w/mp3s. Paypal or by check; order by email: hodgecheryl@hotmail.com
Reviews on "A Singer's Guide to the Well Trained & Powerful Voice"
"Ms. Hodge certainly is well qualified to tackle the topic. She's been singing for a quarter of a century with a wide variety of musicians in, the U.S. (where she was born) and Canada (where she has lived for many years). She earned a degree and taught for eight years (with Paula Cole probably her best-known student) at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston...."- Bob Protzman, Downbeat writer
"Yours are the best video voice lessons I've seen on YouTube. I teach, too. If you don't mind, I'm going to feature one of your videos on my blog. How can I get your book? - Educator, Ryan Bunch (www.ryanbunch.com)
WATCH THE VIDEO, NOW