Eric Hofbauer / Creative Nation Music

..The Boston Phoenix’s “Best of 2006” winner for guitarist of the year, Eric Hofbauer has been called "the heir to the avant-Americana throne" (Jazzreview.com). His 2004 solo debut, American Vanity, a diverse, acoustic guitar-driven exploration of American cultural pride led The Wire reviewer Philip Clark to write, "His acute irreverence is powerful and expertly judged." Eric is also a member of the Blueprint Project, whose 2007 release “People I Like” features Han Bennink and has been called by All About Jazz’s Nic Jones, “Nothing short of glorious…This is the real thing, music that is a working definition of just how uplifting human creativity can be.” Their 2004 self titled debut recording featured bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Matt Wilson, and inspired Coda's James Hale to call the group "not only a meeting of the minds but a communion of the soul." He is also the leader of the Infrared Band, who just recorded their debut featuring all compositions by Hofbauer. Eric performs with the Vocalist Rebecca Shrimpton, Guitarist Garrison Fewell, Vocalist Marianne Solivan, and Charlie Kohlhase's Explorer's Club (formerly the CK5) voted "Best of Boston, Local Jazz 2003." Eric frequently tours in the US and has performed internationally, including the North Sea Jazz Festival. Eric has performed with Han Bennink, Cecil McBee, James Moody, Gunther Schuller, Muhal Richard Abrams, and Matt Wilson ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- ABOUT CREATIVE NATION MUSIC Creative Nation Music (CNM) began as a concert series at Cambridge, Massachusetts' Zeitgeist Gallery in 2000, but quickly grew into a multi-faceted effort to cultivate and organize Boston's local jazz scene.In 2003, Boston-based musicians Eric Hofbauer and Chris Allen partnered to form Creative Nation Music Productions, a collective organization that produced concerts at a variety of Boston-area venues and sold recordings by local musicians through its online storefront.By early 2004, CNM Productions began producing CDs that would introduce Boston-based groups to the rest of the world. Led by Hofbauer, the label secured national distribution through City Hall Records and digital distribution through IODA and released four CDs its first year.Today, Creative Nation Music, as the label is now called, is a respected outlet for independent creative improvised music with nine CDs in its catalog and many more in production for 2008 and beyond. True to its original principles, it remains focused on documenting and promoting the work of musicians living and working in the Boston area, with a special emphasis on artists with distinctive musical personalities.