From the past...
"Heartsongs" is about melodic music from my heart to yours. This album was released years ago, and has since become very hard to find, which is why I am now making it available in full audio quality. I am both blessed and grateful that this album has received major and ongoing airplay worldwide.
All songs written by myself except 'Devotion', which was co-written with my Koinonia bandmate, Harlan Rogers. Musicians include: myself on Guitars and Bass, Bill Maxwell on Drums (and co-producer), Abe Laboriel on Bass, Alex Acuna on Percussion, Justo Almario on Sax and Flute, Russell Ferrante on Keyboards, and Steve Tavaglione on Soulful Sax solo and fills on 'Devotion!'
album Reviews
“May 9, 1999 - I first came across this great music while in college about 9 years ago, far back in my home country, Nigeria. A friend was playing the track, "Dreamy". O my, was I instantly captivated! I searched EVERYWHERE to get my own copy, but to no avail. I had to dub the whole CD on tape, and use it for my enjoyment. Whether you are listening to the cool, nice "Lullaby", or the spirited "Scotland" you are in for a great time. I have quite a bit of instrumental albums, but none compares with Hockensmith's! ” - A music fan
“August 22, 1999 - Some albums have one or two great songs. This entire album is a winner. So why is it that it is impossible to find the CD version? Makes a case for bringing back vinyl. Albums this great deserve to be readily available in CD. ” - A music fan
“May 29, 2004 - I first heard about Hadley Hockensmith back in the early 80's. He was an instrumentalist on many of my favorite Christian albums. Then I discovered the jazz band Koinonia that he played with. In 1986 I found the "Heart Songs" cassette and bought it. I immediately fell in love with it. It put me in another world. I played the cassette so much that I completely wore it out. So that year I had to buy another one. Then I started to allow my friends and family to hear the cassette. Everyone who was allowed to borrow it would just keep it for themselves. I had to buy another copy of this recording at least 15-20 times over the past 18 years back in 2001 when my last CD was taken from me I searched the internet for about 1.5 years until I was able to find another original one. This one will never leave me again.” - "rquelce" (Hyattsville, MD)
“July 21, 1999 - This album is one of my all time favorites since obtaining it in 1991. I still look for any new releases by this talented guitarist. I would like to know if there are other albums featuring him. But this is one to have if you can find a copy. ” - six696@ipa.net
“June 18, 1999 - A friend introduced me to this album 8 or 9 years ago. She made a copy for me and I spent the next couple of years looking for the CD. I have since been lucky enough to find it and purchased two. I have played it for many friends and just about every time we have to start the search again for a copy. I try to work when I listen to "Devotion", but every time I have to stop and just soak in that saxophone. I end up playing it over and over. I highly recommend this artist to anybody that enjoys light & beautiful jazz.”
“May 27, 2005 - I've had this album recorded in a tape for a long time but I had to grow a bit older to really enjoy it in its whole dimension. Anyway I keep on thinking since then the best tracks are the two magic 'Lullaby', a very elegant and beautiful guitar ballad full of feeling and inspiration, and the best one, undoubtedly, the last track, 'Deborah Lea'. I don't know if Deborah is Hadley's wife or whatever but has to be a really important person for him, as this song is as beautiful and magic as a song can be. At the start there's an atmosphere of perfect serenity and peace, in which a strange 'horn' keyboard sound appears drawing loosely some melodies. The song is haunting and recalls a really intimate and happy moment full of peace and serenity. This track is class and so is the rest of the album, ranging between soft jazz and just new age guitar music. Very recommendable for people who like soft jazz but not the cold one but with a bit of heart in it. ” - Javier Navas (Madrid, Spain)
“August 10, 2001 - All songs are brilliant. I had never heard of this guy. We were looking for some music in this CD store in Alkmaar, and this CD was the background music. It was that kind of shop, where the background music was real background, not preventing any conversations, if you know what I mean. So, we went through all the cabinets, picked a few CD's to evaluate and let them be played for us. Everytime, when CD's where switched, we heard this sound of Hadley Hockensmith, and all the CD's we picked were disappointing, compared to that. So at last, we just bought Hadley Hockensmith, and it's one of my very very rare CD's where I never want to skip a song when I play it. They are all brilliant, and the recording quality of the CD is also fabulous. We had a little problem at home with the CD, it didn't play on our player. So, in order to be able to hear this CD, we bought a new player! Every time we let other music lovers hear this CD, they didn't want us to tape it, they wanted an original CD. It's just too bad that he never made a new one. I'm sure there's a market for a sequel.” - zugarbabylove (Helmond, Noord Brabant, Netherlands)
“November 12, 2002 - I love this CD. I often listen to it and I like the silence. I bought it by "accident", because I saw it in a CD store and I have heard him before in the band KOINONIA. They are my favorite band. Far more jazzy, but worth trying if you like this one. ” - Ulrik Thor (Aarhus, Denmark
“March 21, 2003 - I have had this cassette since 1986. I still love to listen to it today as much as I did then. Now, I am trying to buy the CD and I cannot find it anywhere. It's great anytime day or night , rain or shine. If you are really down, one song can really bring you up out of the "dumps" SCOTLAND. After listening to this song you cannot help but have a smile on your face. It will leave you with "smiles and smiles to go."” - Robert N. De Moll (San Diego, CA)