Trust

For those who want the heart and soul of a performance, Joanne Hogg is the essence of an artist. She brings such vulnerability and emotion to her music that it is impossible to resist being drawn in completely. On the piano, she moves with ease and a soft touch, never in a hurry, letting some notes linger on and on, as if she is taking a moment to contemplate and appreciate their sound. These pauses she takes on the keyboard leave us on the edge of our seat in attention, grounding us completely in the present, capturing our attention and our hearts. Over this gorgeous piano playing, Jo's voice floats above beautifully with a sweet fullness that rings out. Each line ties into the next, with the pauses in between propelling us forward. Producer and Blue Coast Records founder, Cookie Marenco puts it succinctly: "The chill of the space between, the breath of a human, the call of the wild, the angst of a life well lived. That is Jo."

"Little Brother," the lead off single, is a heart wrenching story of helping someone in their time of need—something we can all relate to during times of loneliness. On “Rest,” Jo seeks a place that is home, a place she can rest. This piece is gorgeous, like a sunset, full of pauses ripe with emotion and vulnerability. “Edge of the World” captures the liminal space you find yourself just before sleep. There is beauty in that sense of utter relaxation and Jo personifies this in song perfectly. “Murlough Bay” begins softly. Jo takes immense care to bring us into the song gently and, once our attention has been captured, crescendos to an emotional peak. “Gentler Side of Trust” finds Jo in instrumental heaven, focused completely on the piano in front of her. This track is brooding, introspective, emotional, and the audiophile quality recording really accentuates the resonance of the piano, the way the strings vibration lingers on like fond memories.

Jo is known throughout the world for her work with a popular progressive rock band called, Iona. She also works with organizations bringing food, peace and kindness to people in need.

Jo performed live in the studio using Blue Coast Records proprietary technique called Extended Sound Environment (E.S.E.). These songs were originally recorded to DSD, a one bit recording format that offers the highest resolutions possible. Cookie Marenco was the engineer and producer on this album. Patrick O'Connor was the digital DSD operator.