Jason E. Hodges's Blog

 

 

I met these folks from the television show Pitbulls And Parolees a while back. Good people doing good things.

My interview with the amazing Eva Holbrook.


How old were you when you stared singing and playing mandolin?


I was 10 when I started playing Mandolin, and 16 when I started singing. 


Which artists inspired you when you were starting out, and still inspires you today?


Chris Thile was a big inspiration, my dad used to buy his music books and lesson dvds to cheer me along each birthday. I really enjoyed those. Imogen Heap and Enya were my singing heroes. I’ve always had a soft voice and they mad...

I ran into Maggie on 43rd Street today. We were both headed down the same hot endless sidewalk that seems to be everywhere in Gainesville this time of year. White cotton clouds drifted above as the sun cooked everything below. “Hey Jason,” She said with a smile. “Long time no see.” “For sure,” I replied. I watched her smile fade and her eyes grow a little more serious. “I’m sorry about Ellis. I know you two were close.” Ellis Amburn’s smiling face raced through my mind. “Yeah, I’ll miss him....

Joan Jett once said, “My guitar is not a thing. It is an extension of myself. It is who I am.” It’s easy to see and hear this in Dani Wilde’s music. The feeling in her voice along with her emotion-filled guitar playing is a breath of fresh air in the music world today. She’s opened for Johnny Winter, Foreigner, Journey, and has collaborated with Samantha Fish. Dani Wilde is a powerhouse in the Blues world today. She is one of my favorite musicians and someone I believe is making an impact i...

Along with an incredible voice, Chloe Feoranzo plays the clarinet and saxophone. She pulls you back in time with her music. As you listen you’ll feel like you’re sitting in a 1920s speakeasy enjoying a night on the town. She’s put hard work and dedication into her craft and it shows. Every note, whether voice or instrument, shines bright in her performance. Truly a modern-day link to the past, yet a gem in our musical present.
Chloe studied under Jazz great Charles McPherson. A friend of mine...

Like Loretta Lynn and Neil Young, Lilly Hiatt sings from the heart. Her lyrics and style are reminiscent of the greats I grew up listening to in The Seventies. Yet she also has that rocking edge that rolls along in rhythmic chords much like the bands I loved in The Nineties. Lilly is someone special, someone whose spirit soars high when she picks up her guitar and sings. Truly an original.

From the first time I heard her, I was enthralled with her music. The more I heard the more I wanted to h...