Noah Hocker

Biography
Articles

Noah Hocker was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He attributes his early interest in music to his Mom, who is a singer and flutist. Noah has always been a lover of various kinds of music but became enthralled with jazz because of its freedom and range of expression. He couldn't get enough of jazz and improvisation so he joined several of the reputable youth programs in Portland such as: the American Music Program, The Alan Jones Academy of Music, and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony.

Noah went on to study music at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he received a Masters degree in Jazz Performance, and studied privately with acclaimed performer and teacher Terell Stafford.

Since graduating, Noah has developed his career both as a leader and a sideman. He currently works with groups such as, Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders, Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five Feat. Hilary Alexander, the Gordon Webster Band, and the Hot Sardines, to name a few.

Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming release of his debut record, 'Common Thread.'

Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra: Alkebulan

Read "Alkebulan" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
March 11, 2026

On Alkebulan, the second recording by his jny: Washington, DC-area Jazz Orchestra, composer, arranger and trombonist Javier Nero pays loving tribute to his African heritage, as he did on the orchestra's earlier album for Outside In Music, emet (The Black Land). As before, Nero uses his considerable skills as a writer and orchestrator to share and amplify his vision of a once-thriving civilization whose framework and particulars have been swept away in the historical narrative but whose impact on the ...