Skillfully balancing chaos and purity, delicacy and weight – pianist, composer and producer Hope Udobi Nwachukwu is a contemporary artist like no other. Born in Washington DC, Udobi soon relocated with his family to Nigeria where his interest in jazz music began at the age of 9. Later at 14 years old, his family moved back to the US where he took up private piano lessons, gradually immersing himself in all things music. 2006 saw him break out into the world of live performance, becoming a side-man for local and national acts. Then in 2010, DC’s rock and soul act Black Alley welcomed him on board, allowing him to play for audiences across the US and Canada appearing on VHI and MTV.
Along the way, Udobi secured collaborative work with numerous Jazz, Soul and Hip Hop artists – Bobby Watson, Delfeayo Marsalis, Naturally 7, Fred Yonnet, Angie Stone, Raheem DeVaughn, Wayna, Kindred The Family Soul, K.Michelle, Scarface, Talib Kweli, Common, Goldlink; to name just a few. In 2016, he was chosen as Artist in Residence for Jazz at The Lincoln Center Doha – a six-week residency that ultimately paved the way for a faster rise within the scene; eventually seeing him step up as guest speaker at Bose RADAR’s 2019 SXSW presentation: Bose Augmented Audio Experience. He talked in depth about the 3D audio format for recording and producing as well creating audio samples for their RADAR app. His music was also featured on the app in 3D audio format.
Later that year, his debut album hit the digital shelves, with a launch show at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC. The highly anticipated conceptual project, entitled In The Wild, is a collection of songs inspired by some of his own harrowing experiences. The album stylishly fuses Jazz with elements of Hip Hop, Soul, Afrobeat and Classical. It sees him venture with creative freedom and depth of thought into realms of unpredictable and fascinating audio expression. These ever-changing soundscapes build a cinematic experience around listeners, proving all at once immersive, provocative, and deeply human.
Recorded and produced in studios across New York, DC and Miami, In The Wild features 10 original compositions that conclude with a session with 4 time Grammy winning producer and engineer Jimmy ‘The Senator’ Douglass, In The Wild is a beautifully unpredictable hit of absolute escapism and musical prowess. Despite his impressive achievements to date, this new sound undoubtedly marks the beginning of an even greater journey.
He has performed at venues locally and nationally such as Blues Alley, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, The Lincoln Theatre, Smalls, DROM, The Fillmore, The Kennedy Center, The Hamilton, The Blue Note Jazz Club to name a few. He is currently working on his upcoming studio album and performing for audiences around the world.
