The full set from the Florian Hoefner Group’s performance at Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2019 is now available for streaming on ABC Jazz.
“First Spring” Playlist with Original Versions
Get a look behind the scenes of “First Spring” with this Spotify playlist. It puts Florian’s trio arrangements back to back with the original version he worked from when creating the album.
CD of the Month in PianoNews!
“First Spring” was selected as Jazz Album of the Month in the March 2020 issue of Germany’s Piano News Magazine. It received best marks on interpretation and sound.
Florian on Faculty at Stratford Summer Jazz Academy
Florian will be on faculty at the new Stratford Summer Jazz Academy, a jazz camp for young musicians age 14-18 in Stratford, ON, Canada. It is part of the Stratford Summer Music Festival. Other faculty members include Kelly Jefferson (saxophone), Andre Lachance (bass) and Jim Doxas (drums).
East Coast Music Awards Nominations
First Spring was nominated as Jazz Album of the Year and Instrumental Album of the Year at the 2020 East Coast Music Awards. The awards show and conference will be held in St. John’s from April 29th to May 1st.
First Spring in Canadian Top Ten 2019
First Spring made it into the top ten of Peter Hum’s best Canadian Jazz of 2019 in the Ottawa Citizen.
First Spring in Top 10
Pianist Florian Hoefner and his trio immerse themselves in “the ethos of traditional songs and the high lonesome sound of Bluegrass” on this surprisingly fine recording—a blend of jazz and Americana, folk and country. Who’d have thought that would work? (Dan McClenaghan) Read entire Top 10 at All About Jazz
Live Review: Florian Hoefner Group at Melbourne International Jazz Festival
“An hour later, German pianist Florian Hoefner led his group through a memorable set drawn from his latest album, Luminosity. Hoefner met his bandmates (bassist Sam Anning, drummer Peter Kronreif and saxophonist Mike Rivett) while all four were living in New York, and this show felt like a joyful reunion. […]
Live Review: Florian Hoefner Trio at National Arts Centre, Ottawa
“The sheer songfulness of the material spurred Hoefner to interpret and improvise with lyricism at the forefront. His arrangements added the right amount of jazz breadth and sophistication to the mix in terms of harmonic and structural richness, without turning the material into jazzschool contrivances. These pieces, plus Hoefner’s like-minded and well-crafted originals such as the quick, […]
Live Review: Subtone live at National Arts Centre, Ottawa
“Founded 13 years ago when its members were in university together in Berlin, Subtone plays high-powered, sophisticated, tautly arranged original music. For trumpeter Magnus Schriefl, reeds player Malte Dürrschnabel. pianist Florian Hoefner, bassist Matthias Pichler and drummer Peter Gall, there was consistently a lot of detailed material to execute. […]