Jerry the Priest - Trombone, Guitar, Vocals
Annabelle - Violin
Quentin Josephy - Afro-Cuban Percussion
Milo Martin - Poetry
Anne & Jeff Grimaldo of Naked With Shoes - Dance
Poli Marichal - Shadow puppets
Stefan Fabry & Mitra Martin - Tango Dancers
Amy Kaps - Visual/Spatial Performance
Influences
Practically everything but polka! Jazz, rock, blues, tango, bossa nova, glam, punk, French chanson, and more........................
FAVORITE BANDS WITH ACCORDIONS, BANDONEONS, ETC.:
Gotan Project, Bajofondo Tango Club, Astor Piazzola, Beirut, Arcade Fire, Nouvelle Vague, Les Negresses Vertes, The Pogues, Tom Waites, Nick Cave, Vagabond Opera, Alec K Redfearn and the Eyesores, Cat Hair Ensemble, Fishtank Ensemble, Jessica Fichot, Mrs. Brown's Lovely Daughter, Jason Webley, Radio Fantastique, Jeffrey Butzer, Squeeze-bot, Stars of Aviation, Alarm Will Sound........................
FAVORITE SINGERS:
Jesca Hoop, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe, Astrud Gilberto, Chet Baker, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Jane Birkin, Sia (of Zero 7), Camille (of Nouvelle Vague), Holly Golightly, Mama Cass, Nico, Cat Power, Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth), Sabina Sciubba (of Brazilian Girls), Alison Goldfrapp (of Goldfrapp)........................
OTHER FAVORITE MUSICIANS/BANDS: Serge Gainsbourg, Django Reinhardt, Thelonious Monk, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Air, Beck, The Like, The White Stripes, The Lost & Wandering Jazz & Blues Band, Mulatu Astatki, Sigur Ros, Stereolab, Dengue Fever.
Sounds Like
Comments at performances include: "eclectic", "cinematic", "erotic", "weird but good".
Elegant, but edgy, Mrs. Hobbs is a sultry cabaret singer and accordion player. Mixing and mashing up jazz, rock, glam, tango, punk, gypsy, classical and minimalist influences, her songs are filled with "mood": melancholic, sensuous, humorous. Whether performing original songs or what has been said to be the best interpretations of others' songs, Mrs. Hobbs is changing people's ideas of what accordion music can be. Mrs. Hobbs came into being in early 2005. Of course, she always had a love of music, having sung in the high school chorus, been a DJ at her college radio station, lived with musicians in a boat community in France (ah! la vie de bohème!), and sung lullabies to her daughter, but she had never played an instrument until then.
She taught herself the accordion and started playing around Los Angeles at venues such as Bordello Bar, The Rainbow Bar & Grill, Highways Performance Space, Club Ding-A-Ling, The Mbar, The Talking Stick, The UnUrban, The Abbot Kinney Festival, Robin’s Sculpture Garden, James Gray Gallery, and Elizabeth Paige Smith Atelier.
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Why the accordion?
A clear plastic toy accordion was first espied in 2005 and subsequently purchased by "zee artiste", after which a real adult version was acquired.
There is the feeling of strapping it on and holding it to one's chest, the breathing of the accordion upon squeezing, the movement of the bellows.
There are the sounds that resonate, the richness of the tones, the deep bass notes, the high sighs, the fullness of sound, and even sometimes a whisper.
Then there were the years spent in France seeing accordion players in the streets that undoubtably played a part in the love of the accordion....................
In another life she's also a visual artist and designer (all the "album covers" are designed by her)....................
See MrsHobbs.com for more details.
Hi Mrs. Hobbs! Thanks for including us in your circle of friends! Like your songs! It was cool getting to see you perform at the Talking Stick last night! We wish you and your music all the best, and we hope that you enjoy our music too! Please let us know what you think! Have a great week, and take care! (*^_^*)
Blessings, Melissa, Kelli, and Gabrielle RAMEKEGA
P.S. We have our gigs schedule up, so we hope you can make it to either one of the shows!
People who comment on special comment # 1, automatically earn themselves special comment #2:
Did you tell your underwear it’s high time to debrief? Or ask a monkey’s uncle for the number of his niece? And did you walk a tightrope over vats of boiling laughter? And did you mop up all the weeping mess the morning after? Did you drink volcanoes through a Coney island straw? Or call Poseidon’s cell phone to make sure your sushi’s raw? And did you streak the freeway in the brisk December snow? Did you expect religion to explain what you don’t know? And do you ever think about how much some money’s worth? Do you ever lie and tell the birds down south they’re north? And did you fail at algebra till you took it in Braille? Did you draw DaVinci with the slime tracks of a snail? And did you smash an apple on the cemetery wall? Did you tell the Sea-World staff their Walruses are Paul? And did you flee from church in search of something you could hold? Did you trade your coward’s dice to go roll something bold? And did you throw a Q-tip at the card-house that you built? And did you find it hard to wipe the mistakes up you spilt? Did you swing upon a lamp-post’s rusted metal neck? Did you make a paper airplane with your payroll check? And did you ride a toothbrush through the mountains of Peru? Did you ask yourself just what the hell you’re listening to?
Did you say The Atma like as if it hit your bruise? And did you know there ain’t no better way to cure the blues….
There are people Who would keep a Weary eye upon a peep hole Of a door Looking for Someone to befriend before Saying simply I am guilty Of the want to have you with me So it goes We are those Who will say aloud in prose Thanks to thee For finding we The wacky Atma Family We won’t run From what you've done We accept you as our chum We won't hide If you come by We accept you in our Pride Of Lion Cubs Smoking dubs Or if your sober, we don't judge Thanks again, Know its been A creamy treat to call you "Friend"
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