"If you love what you do, it's not work". If this is true, then Jim Hoke's out of work. He's very busy, however, being Nashville's premier "go to" guy on sax/woodwinds, harmonica, pedal steel, a plethora of other color instruments, plus horn and string arrangements for a virtual who's who of every musical category.
Top artists in pop, country, Americana and other styles respect Jim for the amazing level of artistry he brings to everything he does. Nashville is a town of musical specialists and Jim is a rarity - a specialist on a baffling number of instruments, and he plays each one as if it's the only thing he does. On sax, you hear the whole history of the saxophone coming through; suave Lester Young, soulful King Curtis, cool Stan Getz, melding into Jim's own contemporary style. When he plays blues/country harp, you hear Sonny Terry blues, electrified Paul Butterfield urban energy, and alot more. On chromatic harmonica, there's Stevie Wonder lyricism and Toots Thielemans innovation rolled into Jim's own style. Drawing so deeply from the well enables Jim to be the perfect stylist for any musical situation and this is the main reason for his success in the studio.
Top artists in pop, country, Americana and other styles respect Jim for the amazing level of artistry he brings to everything he does. Nashville is a town of musical specialists and Jim is a rarity - a specialist on a baffling number of instruments, and he plays each one as if it's the only thing he does. On sax, you hear the whole history of the saxophone coming through; suave Lester Young, soulful King Curtis, cool Stan Getz, melding into Jim's own contemporary style. When he plays blues/country harp, you hear Sonny Terry blues, electrified Paul Butterfield urban energy, and alot more. On chromatic harmonica, there's Stevie Wonder lyricism and Toots Thielemans innovation rolled into Jim's own style. Drawing so deeply from the well enables Jim to be the perfect stylist for any musical situation and this is the main reason for his success in the studio.
