Composer/Pianist Lisa Hilton Explores
a Night of Personal Emotion on Latest Album,
Nocturnal - Available January 22
a Night of Personal Emotion on Latest Album,
Nocturnal - Available January 22
Featuring Performances by J.D. Allen,
Terell Stafford, Gregg August and Antonio Sánchez
Terell Stafford, Gregg August and Antonio Sánchez
Album Release Performance in Weill Hall
at Carnegie Hall on January 17
"Exceptional artistry.." - JazzTimes
"The sheer beauty of her playing... the rhythmic acuity,
those silky lines" - DownBeat
Composer/pianist/band-leader Lisa Hilton has completed her 18th release, Nocturnal, with her most impressive band to date featuring tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen, trumpeter Terell Stafford, bassist Gregg August and drummer Antonio Sánchez.
The 11-track album shows remarkable emotional depth and clarity from
all band members, exploring the reactive emotions that follow an
ill-fated night of events. "It comes from having something not go your
way, and what that means to you as you explore the natural reactions to
an event in your own personal manner," explains Hilton. Personal is the
key, as Hilton hopes to use musical exploration and improvisation to
connect with the listener on a person-to-person basis. "We were trying to explore the multiple layers of human emotions musically."
These
emotions - anger, confusion, love, desire, hope and sadness - are
extensively explored throughout the album, reflective in the titles of
each song. The feelings demand certain questions to be asked - Where is
my mind? Am I going crazy? Is there hope? - with each composition
offering a deeply profound answer to life's greatest dilemmas.
For
lovers of tradition, the title track "Nocturnal," "Whirlwind," and the
classic "Willow Weep for Me," allow for Stafford's fluid trumpet and
flugelhorn as well as Allen's deep tenor tone to shine. The Latin
flavored, "A Spark in the Night," showcases Sánchez and August's
extensive Latin backgrounds in a catchy and appealing manner, while
"Twilight" is impressionistic.
A
surprise choice is a cover of The Pixies' "Where is My Mind" which is
so simply stated in true form and turns in another direction by the
finale. It's on the bluesy "Seduction" and the tender "An August
Remembered" that Hilton's flowing lines and melodic ideas are
highlighted. "Midnight
Sonata," written for a trio consisting of piano, bass and drums,merges
the classical form with the freedom of American jazz and blues in a
trans-genre style. Inspired by iconic American composers such as George
Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck - who also composed in
classical forms - Hilton lands on a composition that is appealing to
both jazz and classical fans alike. "Midnight
Sonata" was also written to communicate an emotional depth not normally
found in sonatas. While the sonata form is intact, Hilton and her trio
use improvisation, blues, modal washes, shifting key centers, free jazz,
impressionism and extended technique to create a refreshing yet
familiar vibe.
As
a distinctive and thought provoking composer/pianist, Hilton creates
compositions that draw on classical traditions, twentieth century
modernists, and the avant-garde as much as they look back to icons of
American jazz and blues. Hilton's post bop style influences extend
beyond jazz legends Thelonious Monk, Count Basie and Duke Ellington, to
include bluesman Muddy Waters, minimalists like Steve Reich, current
rockers Green Day and The Black Keys or modernists Prokofiev, Stravinsky
and Bartok.
 |
| Antonio Sánchez, J.D. Allen, Lisa Hilton, Terell Stafford and Gregg August - Photo Credit: George Brooks |
About Lisa Hilton:
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 became a music school drop out,
switching majors and receiving a degree in art instead. "I approach
music as art now," Hilton explains; "I build the composition with
musical elements then 'paint' texture and color through improvisation
and other concepts."
Hilton
has produced a total of 18 albums to date, representing over 200
compositions to her name. She has worked with many of this era's jazz
luminaries, notably Christian McBride, Nasheet Waits, Steve Wilson,
Jeremy Pelt, Lewis Nash, Billy Hart, Bobby Militello, Larry Grenadier,
and Marcus Gilmore among others. Her releases regularly appear on radio
charts.
Committed
to helping students who are often overlooked, Hilton regularly spends
time to help young blind musicians at the historic Perkins School for
the Blind in Boston, The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who are Blind or
Visually Impaired, The Junior Blind of America in Los Angeles, Camp
Bloomfield for the Blind in Malibu, California, or with The Berklee
College of Music in Boston and their adaptive music lab for visually
impaired musicians. "I enjoy extending help to those with physical
disabilities - music should be for everyone," Hilton explains.
 |
| Lisa Hilton - "Seduction" |
Upcoming Lisa Hilton Performances:
* January 17 / Weill Hall At Carnegie Hall / New York, NY
March 4 / Smothers Hall Pepperdine University / Malibu, CA
March 10 / Junior Blind of America / Los Angeles, CA
March 12 / Classic Pianos / Portland, OR
March 24 / SFJazz / San Francisco, CA
April 13 / Chicago Lighthouse / Chicago, IL
* Album Release featuring J.D. Allen, Ingrid Jensen, Ben Williams and Rudy Royston
Lisa Hilton · Nocturnal
Ruby Slippers Productions · Release Date: January 22, 2016
For national media inquiries, please contact:
DL Media · 610-667-0501
Matthew Jurasek · matthew@
Don Lucoff · don@dlmediamusic.com
Serving the Finest In Jazz Since 1988
Information and press materials (including album covers, promotional photos and bios)
on all DL Media artists can be found at our website: dlmediamusic.com
