Product Description
Critically acclaimed pianist/composer/band leader Lisa Hiltons thirteenth stateside release finds her, once again, working with a stellar lineup of top flight jazz musicians: Larry Grenadier (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums) and J.D. Allen (tenor sax), imbuing UNDERGROUND, and Hiltons compositions with straight ahead jazz that has warmth, beauty and soul. Im a fan of traditional jazz, but I am not a traditionalist, Hilton explains. UNDERGROUND showcases what Hilton describes as her new philosophy when composing. Ive taken a new approach that has allowed me to broaden my palette as a composer. I found inspiration in our beloved composers Miles, Muddy, Monk and other great jazz and blues musicians that are our wealth and legacy in America". The result is a sound that is alternately fresh, familiar, introspective, bluesy, evocative or rollicking, while showcasing the extraordinary talents of the band members. Hilton has been called a Lioness of Jazz by JazzReview and noted in the book, The New Face of Jazz, by Cicily Janus: Hilton has been compared to some of the best pianists in history, such as Bill Evans, and Brad Mehldau. UNDERGROUND is infiltrated with what Downbeat Magazine has described as, A deeply expressive style of coaxing sounds from keys and offering rich melodies and improvisations.
Review
When she wants to she can coax a sound from the upper middle register that's reminiscent of the way Bill Evans used to sound: like he was splitting delicate icicles into pieces, gently, with the flick of the middle finger. Hilton's newest CD is stacked with some of the world's greatest musicians... --Giovanni Russonello/Capitol Bop
Pianist/composer Lisa Hilton adds a bit extra spice on this latest release with JD Allen/ts, Larry Grenadier/bass and Nasheet Waits/drums. Her music, usually flowing like a river, is a bit more like a Class V rapids here, with extra assertion and percussion in the writing and delivery. Hilton and team display a dark aggressiveness on the brooding Someday, Somehow, Soon and kinetic title track that mixes moonlight with foreboding shadow. On the trio pieces, she displays more open musical spaces as she mixes a New Orleans playfulness on Jack and Jill with Satie inspired impressionism on B Minor Waltz. Waits works overtime on this disc, with some conversant and ricocheting drum work throughout the session, while Allen is sonoric and searching on his tenor. A confident step forward from Ms Hilton, who is continually seeking and finding an original voice. --George Harris/Jazz Weekly
When I hear Lisa Hilton play, it makes me smile. There is something about her music that is earthly, spontaneous and truly from the heart. I can honestly say her music touches my musical DNA. --Bubba Jackson/KKJZ radio host Los Angeles
About the Artist
About Lisa Hilton: Hilton's blues inflected poly-genre style influences extend beyond jazz legends Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, and Horace Silver to include bluesman Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, minimalists like Steve Reich, modernists like Prokofiev or classical giants like Chopin. Hiltons twenty plus releases reliably top the charts every year sustaining her profile as a consistent composer, pianist, producer and bandleader. She also performs at venues across the US from the legendary Carnegie Hall to Chicagos historic Green Mill and is known for her expressive technique at the piano as well as her warmth and storytelling on stage. Originally from a small town on California's central coast, Hilton studied classical and twentieth century piano formally from the age of eight, where she was inspired by her great uncle, Willem Bloemendall, (1910-1937), a young Dutch piano virtuoso. In college though, due to the lack of creativity in the program, she switched majors and received a degree in art instead. Since becoming a professional musician, this background in the fine arts has well informed Hilton's composition process. Committed to helping students who are often overlooked, for years Hilton has regularly spent time to help blind students at the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who are Blind, Jr. Blind of America, Camp Bloomfield for the Blind, or The Berklee College in Boston and their adaptive music lab for visually impaired. "I enjoy extending help to those with physical disabilities - music should be for everyone," Hilton says.
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 5.5 x 5.5 x 0.25 inches; 2.5 ounces
- Manufacturer : RUBY SLIPPERS PRODUCTIONS
- Original Release Date : 2011
- Run time : 43 minutes
- Date First Available : January 24, 2011
- Label : RUBY SLIPPERS PRODUCTIONS
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
