"If you love what you do, it's not work". If this saying is true, then Jim Hoke is out of work. He is 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 artists of every musical category.
Top artists in pop, country, Americana and many 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; warm luxuriant Lester Young, soulful tough King Curtis, suave and smart Stan Getz and much more, melding into Jim's own style. When he plays blues/country harp, you hear plaintive Sonny Terry blues, raw Paul Butterfield urban energy, and so much more. On chromatic harmonica, there's Stevie Wonder lyricism and Toots Thielemans innovation. 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 many 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; warm luxuriant Lester Young, soulful tough King Curtis, suave and smart Stan Getz and much more, melding into Jim's own style. When he plays blues/country harp, you hear plaintive Sonny Terry blues, raw Paul Butterfield urban energy, and so much more. On chromatic harmonica, there's Stevie Wonder lyricism and Toots Thielemans innovation. 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.
