The Smiling Hour is a collaboration between British songstress Julie Dexter and thehc3; Nick Rosen(p), Kevin Smith(b) & Henry Conerway III(d). Solo artists in their own right, this group of musicians have joined together to record a collection of standards. “The record came about very organically” they say. “Julie didn’t know it at the time, but she put together a string of shows and called each member of thehc3 separately.” Rosen’s arrangements of the classics; Billie Holiday’s, Good Morning Heartache and People Make The World Go Round set the tone for the album. The group chose songs and composers that have influenced or impacted them in some way; The Smiling Hour, the title track, pays homage to the legendary Sarah Vaughan; while Cotton Tailsalutes the great Duke Ellington. This musical offering with arrangements by each band member, produces a fresh take on favorites from The Great American Songbook. Julie Dexter & thehc3 are currently taking bookings for a tour in the fall of 2015.
