Jim Hobbs (alto saxophone, compositions), Timo Shanko (bass), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet), Luther Gray (drums), Ian Ayers (guitar)
The Fully Celebrated Orchestra has been a force on the Boston music scene since saxophonist/composer Jim Hobbs and bassist Timo Shanko started playing free jazz at punk rock clubs and street corners in the late 1980s. Still going strong as underground legends over three decades later, FCO also features cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, drummer Luther Gray, and guitarist Ian Ayers.
Jim Hobbs was born and raised in north-eastern Indiana at the convergence of three rivers. He is a recipient of the Doris Duke New Works Grant for composition from Chamber Music America. After a childhood of chewing hay and catching salamanders he began playing the saxophone. He received a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music where he majored in composition. It was there that he met bassist Timo Shanko and started the Fully Celebrated Orchestra (FCO), which has released 10+ recordings on various labels including Silkheart, Skycap and Innova. FCO is also the subject of a children's book.
He has performed and recorded with Joe Morris, Luther Gray, Taylor Ho Bynum, Bill Lowe, The Jazz Composers Alliance, Forbes Graham, The Prodigal Suns, Mackie Burnett, Fred Hopkins, Laurence Cook, Jon Voight, Junko Simons, Nightstick, The Death's Head Quartet, Josh Roseman, Curtis Hasselbring, The Lunch Factor, Laura Andel, Brother Blue and many others.