Derrick Hodge - The Second (2016)

On August 26, Derrick Hodge will release The Second, his sophomore album for Blue Note Records which finds the 2-time GRAMMY-winner taking on the roles of producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist to present a singular vision. The results are once rich, raw and revelatory, with Hodge forgoing a conventional band approach and instead playing all of the instruments and contributing vocals himself with only a few exceptions – drums from Mark Colenburg on three tracks and one track featuring horns performed by trumpeter Keyon Harrold, trombonist Corey King, and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland.

The Second is available for pre-order now on CD or digital download. Fans who pre-order the download will immediately receive the title track which is also available as a single on streaming services. Listen to the “The Second” HERE.

“I wanted to create something that exposed myself artistically, with a heartbeat for the people,” says Hodge. “My hope is for this sound to uplift people, help them get through whatever, and show that I’m all in for creating music for the rest of my life and career.”

After years as an essential band member in groups led by artists including trumpeter Terence Blanchard, keyboardist Robert Glasper, rapper Common, and R&B singers Jill Scott and Maxwell, Hodge stepped out on his own in 2013 with the release of Live Today, his debut album which introduced a strikingly original voice of his own.

“Mr. Hodge has made a cinematic word of his own,” declared The New York Times in their glowing review of Live Today. JazzTimes called the album “a focused, cohesive and artistically ambitious record,” noting that it’s “identity, and lasting beauty, is found in his arrangements,” and praising how naturally Hodge’s sound wove together jazz and hip hop: “the hypnotic morphing of textures and timbres within these liquid arrangements herald new chemistry and creative fuel.”

Tracklist:

01. The Second
02. Transitions
03. Song 3
04. You Believed
05. World Go Round
06. Heart of a Dreamer
07. Underground Rhapsody
08. Clock Strike Zero
09. For Generations
10. Don Blue
11. Going
12. From Me to You