Hometown

...Hall's expressive, probing trumpet style offers a masterful, wide ranging sound, and varied emotional landscape.
All About Jazz

With Hometown, trumpeter and composer Jared Hall brings listeners into a musically rich reflection on place, purpose, and artistic growth. Born in Spokane and seasoned by vibrant creative communities from Bloomington to Miami and Seattle, Hall returns to his roots with a lyrical voice shaped by decades of performance and collaboration. Here, he celebrates the grounding power of family, shared history, and the joy of reconnecting with the people and experiences that shaped him. From the clever nods to jazz lineage in "Step by Step" and "Echoes and Origins," to the wistful inspiration behind "Room 111," this recording maps Hall's journey with clarity, heart, and unwavering musical intention. Supported by a stellar quintet—including saxophonist Troy Roberts, pianist Ben Markley, bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Kyle Swan—Hometown unfolds with both rooted tradition and forward-looking spirit. The result is resonant and compelling.

"There is truth here, unabashed, direct to the listener." All About Jazz

Production Info:

Produced by Jared Hall & Brian Lynch
Recorded by Reed Ruddy on May 8, 2023
at Sage Arts Studio, Arlington, WA
Assistant Engineer: Jordan Cunningham
Mixed by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Studio, NYC
& Brian Lynch at Hollistic MusicWorks Studio, Milwaukee, WI
Mastered by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Studio, NYC
Cover photo by Armando Martinez
Concert photo by Vince Allis
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Hometown

Paris-Move (Thierry de Clemensat)
5 STARS Hometown – Jared Hall's Intimate Cartography of Sound A monochrome album cover sets the tone: understated, almost austere, yet quietly evocative. From the very first notes, the trumpet enters not as a declaration but as an invitation, its sound warm, deliberate, and imbued with a sense of modernity that feels rooted as much in ideas ...

Jazz Weekly (George Harris)
Trumpeter Jared Hall delivers a vintage sounding hard bop session with Troy Roberts/ts in the frontline and Ben Markley/p, Michael Glynn/b and Kyle Swan/dr supplying the grooves. The session comes across like Horace Silver or Art Blakey was watching in approval, as Hall's velvety horn bops over Markley on "Step By Step" and is as sweet as apple cid ...

Jazz'Halo (Belgium) (Ferdinand DuPuis-Panther)
To the album we read: "With HOMETOWN, trumpeter and composer Jared Hall brings listeners into a musically rich reflection on place, purpose, and artistic growth. Born in Spokane and seasoned by vibrant creative communities from Bloomington to Miami and Seattle, Hall returns to his roots with a lyrical voice shaped by decades of performance and coll ...

UK Vibe (Mike Gates)
Trumpeter Jared Hall's new release, Hometown, is an engaging and assured album that successfully blends the warmth and lyricism of cool jazz without ever feeling complacent. Rooted in reflection but propelled by a modern sensibility, it's a record that values tone, interplay, and a collective spirit that runs through the whole recording. Hall ha ...

Los Angeles Jazz Scene (Scott Yanow)
An excellent trumpeter with an attractive sound, a wide range, and a real feel for advanced hard bop, Jared Hall is heard in top form throughout Hometown. His fourth album as a leader and third for the Origin label, this set teams him with tenor-saxophonist Troy Roberts (whose inventive and fiery solos sometimes come close to stealing the show), pi ...

All About Jazz (Jack Bowers)
4-STARS The Hometown in question is Spokane, Washington, where trumpeter and composer Jared Hall was born and raised. On his third album for Origin Records, Hall salutes the hometown to which he has returned after years as a touring musician with a splendid series of his original compositions and new readings of others by Bobby Hutcherson and Thel ...

Making A Scene (Dee Dee McNeil)
An original composition by Jared Hall is the title tune, "Hometown." It has a warm, beautiful melody. Ben Markley begins the song with a piano bass line that sets mood and tempo. Born in Spokane, Washington, this project by Jared Hall celebrates memories of places, people and the family that shaped him. Musically and physically, he returns back to ...

Bman's Blues Report (Editor)
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hometown, by Jared Hall, and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Hometown, Jared Hall on trumpet and Troy Roberts on tenor sax create the melody, joined by Ben Markley on piano, Michael Glynn on bass and Kyle Swan on drums. Hall takes the first opportunity to explore and creates s ...