Devra Hoff

{{short description|American bassist, composer and arranger}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | background = person | honorific_prefix = | name = Devra Hoff | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name =  | alias = | birth_date =  | birth_place = Colorado | origin = | death_date =  | death_place = | genre = | occupation = {{hlist|Bassist|composer|arranger}} | instrument = | discography = | years_active =  | label = | current_member_of = {{hlist|Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory|Mendoza Hoff Revels}} | past_member_of = | spouse =  | partner =  | website = {{URL|https://devrahoff.bandcamp.com}} | module = | module2 = | module3 = }}

'''Devra Hoff''' is an American bassist, composer, and arranger.<ref name="2024 Washington Post">{{cite news |last1=West |first1=Michael J. |title=Musicians of Mendoza Hoff Revels love the weird parts of jazz and rock |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/12/18/mendoza-hoff-revels-concert-dc/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241218192552/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/12/18/mendoza-hoff-revels-concert-dc/ |archive-date=18 December 2024 |date=18 December 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="2021 Guardian">{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |title=Devin Hoff: Voices from the Empty Moor review – stellar lineup for the twists of Anne Briggs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/26/devin-hoff-voices-from-the-empty-moor-review-anne-briggs |website=The Guardian |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=26 November 2021}}</ref> She is a member of Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Paul |first1=Larisha |title=Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory Announce Debut Album, Tour |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-album-announcement-1235140774/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=23 October 2024}}</ref> and co-founder of Mendoza Hoff Revels with Ava Mendoza.<ref name="2024 Washington Post" /> She is a trans woman.

== Career ==

Hoff composed work for the ''Wholphin'' short film ''Look at the Sun'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Devin Hoff |url=https://lpr.com/lpr_artists/devin-hoff/ |website=LPR |access-date=25 January 2025}}</ref> performed on the soundtrack for Anna Deavere Smith's ''Let Me Down Easy'', and released three albums of solo and multi-tracked contrabass material: ''Solo Bass'' (2009), ''Baile as Baile'' (2019), and ''Sigils'' (2018).<ref name="2021 Backseat Mafia">{{cite web |last1=Sawle |first1=Chris |title=Album review: Devin Hoff – 'Voices From The Empty Moor (Songs of Anne Briggs)': the canon of the Notts folk free spirit judiciously reinvented |url=https://www.backseatmafia.com/album-review-devin-hoff-voices-from-the-empty-moor-songs-of-anne-briggs-the-canon-of-the-notts-free-folk-spirit-judiciously-reinvented/ |website=Backseat Mafia |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=8 November 2021}}</ref> Laurie Anderson named ''Solo Bass'' as one of her top 5 favorite albums of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=CAS|date=2021-02-09|title=Laurie Anderson's Top Five Albums of All Time|url=https://classicalbumsundays.com/laurie-andersons-top-five-albums-of-all-time/|access-date=2021-06-18|website=Classic Album Sundays|language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2021, Kill Rock Stars released Hoff's ''Voices From the Empty Moor (Songs of Anne Briggs)'', an album of works by English folk singer Anne Briggs; arranged and with bass performances by Hoff, the release features artists including Julia Holter, Shannon Lay, Sharon Van Etten, Emmett Kelly, and Jim White.<ref name="2021 Guardian" /> Hoff's many other collaborators include Nels Cline, Cibo Matto,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Devin Hoff|url=https://www.newmusicusa.org/profile/devin-hoff/|access-date=2021-02-13|website=New Music USA|language=en}}</ref> Kira Roessler,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cohan|first=Brad|date=2019-02-14|title=Bass Wars|url=https://rockandrollglobe.com/jazz/bass-warsa-spiel-with-devin-hoff-and-kira-from-awkward/|access-date=2021-06-18|website=Rock and Roll Globe|language=en-US}}</ref> and Xiu Xiu,<ref name=":0" /> and she has released several albums with Ches Smith as Good for Cows.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ches Smith & Devin Hoff (Good for Cows) w/ Mary Halverson, Jessica Pavone and Zs |url=https://roulette.org/event/ches-smith-devin-hoff-good-for-cows-w-mary-halverson-jessica-pavone-zs-2/ |website=Roulette |access-date=25 January 2025}}</ref>

==Selected discography==

===Solo===

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Label |- |2008 |''Solo Bass''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chandler |first1=Tom |title=Devin Hoff: Solo Bass |url=https://eastbayexpress.com/devin-hoff-1/ |website=East Bay Express |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=22 October 2008}}</ref> | |- |2018 |''Sigils'' |Stoned To Death |- |2019 |''Baile as Baile'' |Devil Hoof |- |2025 |''Solve, Coagula'' |Switch Hit |}

===As leader and co-leader===

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Artist !Title !Label !Personnel |- |2001 |Good for Cows |''Good for Cogs'' |Evander Music |Hoff, Smith |- |2003 |Good for Cows |''Less Than or Equal To'' |Free Porcupine Society |Hoff, Smith |- |2004 |Redressers |''To Each According...'' | |Hoff, Smith, Marika Hughes, Carla Kihlstedt |- |2004 |Good for Cows |''Bebop Fantasy'' |Asian Man |Hoff, Smith |- |2008 |Good for Cows |''10th Anniversary Concert'' |Bleeding Ear |Hoff, Smith |- |2010 |Good for Cows |''Audumla'' |Web of Mimicry |Hoff, Smith |- |2018 |AwkWard |''In Progress'' | |Hoff, Kira Roessler |- |2020 |Caustics |''Touch'' |Deathbomb Arc / Moone |Hoff, Yasi Perera, Josiah Wolf, John Dieterich<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stream Caustics' Touch - The Wire|url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/audio/tracks/stream-caustic-s-touch|access-date=2021-02-12|website=The Wire Magazine - Adventures In Modern Music|language=en}}</ref> |- |2021 |Hoff |''Voices From the Empty Moor''<ref name="2021 Guardian" /> |Kill Rock Stars |Hoff ft. Van Etten, Holter, Wiley, Lay, Farha, Kelly, White<ref name="2021 Backseat Mafia" /> |- |2023 |Mendoza Hoff Revels |''Echolocation''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kitching |first1=Sean |title=Mendoza Hoff Revels: Echolocation |url=https://thequietus.com/quietus-reviews/mendoza-hoff-revels-echolocation-review/ |website=The Quietus |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=12 October 2023}}</ref> |AUM Fidelity |Hoff, Ava Mendoza, Smith, James Brandon Lewis |}

===As sideperson===

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Artist !Title !Label |- |2002 |The Nels Cline Singers |''Instrumentals''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reid |first1=Brendan |title=Instrumentals: The Nels Cline Singers |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1510-instrumentals/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=6 November 2002}}</ref> |Cryptogramophone |- |2003 |Carla Bozulich (ft. Willie Nelson) |''The Red Headed Stranger'' |DiCristina Stair Builders |- |2004 |The Nels Cline Singers |''The Giant Pin''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenlee |first1=Steve |title=The Nels Cline Singers: The Giant Pin (Cryptogramophone) |url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/the-nels-cline-singers-the-giant-pin-cryptogramophone/ |website=JazzTimes |access-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714183055/https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/the-nels-cline-singers-the-giant-pin-cryptogramophone/ |archive-date=14 July 2022 |date=13 July 2022}}</ref> |Cryptogramophone |- |2005 |Xiu Xiu |''La Forêt'' |5 Rue Christine |- |2006 |Xiu Xiu |''The Air Force'' |5 Rue Christine |- |2006 |Nels Cline |''New Monastery''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Milkowski |first1=Bill |title=Nels Cline: New Monastery |url=https://jazztimes.com/archives/nels-cline-new-monastery/ |website=JazzTimes |access-date=25 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614122032/https://jazztimes.com/archives/nels-cline-new-monastery/ |archive-date=14 June 2021 |date=1 December 2006}}</ref> |Cryptogramophone |- |2006 |Ben Goldberg Quintet |''The Door, the Hat, the Chair, the Fact'' |Cryptogramophone |- |2006 |Howard Wiley |''Angola Project'' | |- |2006 |Odessa Chen |''Ballad of Paper Ships'' | |- |2007 |The Nels Cline Singers |''Draw Breath''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leitko |first1=Aaron |title=Draw Breath: The Nels Cline Singers |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10725-draw-breath/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=19 October 2007}}</ref> |Cryptogramophone |- |2007 |Frith, Ochs, Johnston, Hoff, Smith |''Reasons for Moving'' |Not Two |- |2007 |Sean Hayes |''Flowering Spade'' | |- |2008 |Halvorson, Pavone, Smith, Hoff |''Calling All Portraits'' |Skycap |- |2008 |Steven Bernstein |''Diaspora Suite'' |Tzadik |- |2009 |Evangelista |''The Prince of Truth'' | |- |2010 |Nels Cline |''Dirty Baby''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Corroto |first1=Mark |title=Nels Cline: Dirty Baby |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dirty-baby-nels-cline-cryptogramophone-review-by-mark-corroto |website=All About Jazz |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=21 November 2010}}</ref> |Cryptogramophone |- |2010 |ROVA + The Nels Cline Singers |''The Celestial Septet'' |New World |- |2010 |The Nels Cline Singers |''Initiate''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tangari |first1=Joe |title=The Nels Cline Singers: Initiate |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14139-initiate/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=16 April 2010}}</ref> |Cryptogramophone |- |2010 |Sean Hayes |''Run Wolves Run'' | |- |2011 |Odessa Chen |''The Archives'' | |- |2012 |Xiu Xiu |''Always'' |Polyvinyl |- |2013 |Julia Holter |''Loud City Song'' |Domino |- |2015 |Julia Holter |''Have You in My Wilderness'' |Domino |- |2016 |Nels Cline |''Lovers''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=Mark |title=Nels Cline: Lovers |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lovers-nels-cline-blue-note-records-review-by-mark-sullivan |website=All About Jazz |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=23 September 2016}}</ref> |Blue Note |- |2017 |Deerhoof |''Mountain Moves'' |Joyful Noise |- |2017 |Tara Jane O'Neil |''Tara Jane O'Neil'' |Gnomonsong |- |2017 |Julia Holter |''In the Same Room'' |Domino |- |2017 |Xiu Xiu |''Forget'' |Polyvinyl |- |2017 |Shannon Lay |''Living Water'' |Woodsist / Mare |- |2018 |New Optimism |''Amazon To LeFrak'' |Phantom Limb |- |2018 |Miss Information |''Sequence'' |Pioneer Works |- |2018 |Julia Holter |''Aviary'' |Domino |- |2018 |Marc Ribot |''Songs of Resistance'' |Anti- |- |2018 |David Lord |''Forest Standards'' | |- |2019 |Xiu Xiu |''Girl with Basket of Fruit'' |Polyvinyl |- |2019 |Ether Feather |''Devil Shadowless Hand'' | |- |2021 |Shannon Lay |''Geist''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Madden |first1=Emma |title=Shannon Lay: Geist |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/shannon-lay-geist/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=25 January 2025 |date=12 October 2021}}</ref> |Sub Pop |- |2022 |Sharon Van Etten |''We've Been Going About This All Wrong'' |Jagjaguwar |- |2024 |Julia Holter |''Something in the Room She Moves'' |Domino |- |}

==References== {{Notelist}} {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.discogs.com/artist/326722-Devin-Hoff Devin Hoff - Discogs]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoff, Devra}} Category:Living people Category:Avant-garde jazz composers Category:Avant-garde jazz guitarists Category:American avant-garde musicians Category:American rock bass guitarists Category:Singers from Colorado Category:Guitarists from Colorado Category:American women bass guitarists Category:21st-century American double-bassists Category:21st-century American women musicians Category:American women jazz musicians Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:The Nels Cline Singers members Category:NoBusiness Records artists Category:Good for Cows members Category:Xiu Xiu members Category:Long stubs with short prose