Erik Hove

Erik Hove is an alto saxophonist who plays a wide variety of jazz, improvised, and contemporary music. Born in Vancouver, he has lived in Montreal and New York, attending McGill University as well as studying with Greg Osby. While in New York, he formed the turntable-jazz group Soundclash, which won the Montreal OFF festival's Francois Marcaurelle prize and released a disc with Effendi records. He also heads various trios and quartets. His latest project, the Erik Hove Chamber Ensemble, is a musical hybrid drawing from jazz, contemporary classical and electro-acoustic music. The 10-piece ensemble consists of a jazz rhythm section and a small contemporary chamber ensemble, and blends group and solo improvisation with rigorous conceptual contemporary writing. The group’s debut, Saturated Colour, received rave reviews from local and international press. Their follow-up, Polygon, was released on Inner Circle Records to equal critical acclaim.

He has played with many local and international artists, including the Juno-winning Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra, Anna Webber's Montreal People, John Hollenbeck’s L”OFF Carte Blanche, the Effendi Jazzlab, the Kalmunity Jazz Project, Gary Schwartz’s Lettingo, Adrian Vedady, Susie Arioli, Malika Tirolien.