Ray Charles' Trumpeter, David Hoffman, in Free Recital Jan. 18

Date: 1/9/07
Contact: Marc Lebovitz

Professional trumpeter David Hoffman, who was Ray Charles' trumpet/flugelhorn soloist and composer/arranger for 13 years until Charles' death in 2004, will give a free guest artist recital at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, in Kemp Recital Hall at Illinois State University.

Hoffman, who lives in the Peoria area, toured Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia during his stint with the Ray Charles Orchestra, including Charles' first trip to Russia in 1994 and the return visit in 2000, where he played with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Hoffman has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl and has appeared on television in France, Italy, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Holland, Spain, Russia, Portugal, Japan, Argentina and Brazil. Among his U.S. television appearances is the Fox TV special, "Ray Charles, 50 Years of Music," where he accompanied Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Michael McDonald, Randy Travis and Willie Nelson.

Hoffman has performed at most of the world's major jazz festivals, and his compositions and arrangements have been played by The Ray Charles Orchestra, The Alternatives, The San Diego Concert Jazz Band, the Brooklyn Jazz Orchestra, The Heartland Jazz Orchestra and the U.S. Navy Jazz Band. He has served as guest soloist and clinician with the University of Kentucky Jazz Ensemble, the Millikin University Jazz Band, the Lincoln Land College Jazz Band, the Heartland Jazz Orchestra, the Illinois State University Jazz Ensemble, the U.S. Navy Band Southwest and others.