Lisa Hilton Bio:
Passionate pianist, composer and producer, Lisa Hilton grew up in a sleepy Southern California town where instrumental music was always being played at home by her three sisters, as well as by her mother, an accountant. Her father, a college professor, didn’t play an instrument, but her grandfather was a violinist and her great uncle, an accomplished Dutch pianist. Most teens would probably opt for rock concerts, but the first live show Hilton saw was the classic blues duo Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. “They seemed very old, and really cool by my teenage standards. I was also a big B.B. King fan in those days too.” Originally self-taught on the piano, Hilton began studying classical and twentieth century composers at the age of eight and developed a passion for the blues and jazz in her teens.
In college in San Francisco, the conservative teaching style of the curriculum led Hilton to abruptly quit the piano, and finish with a degree in art instead of music, which led her to a career as an art director. Being an artist remained a goal, and when her love for the piano and composing was reignited by songwriter/producer David Foster, Hilton found a way to combine her long-lost passions into the accomplished artist that she is now. With eleven albums in about as many years, over 140 digital tracks stateside, and two additional CD’s with Evolution/Asia, this prolific composer/pianist is no longer under the radar, and the attention of the media has been aroused. Reviews include “A top notch piano player” All About Jazz, “Refined” NY Jazz Improv, “Her compositional skills are second to none”, The Sounding Board, “Stunning looks and genuine talent” Jazziz, “Throbbing under the current of West Coast cool” Midwest Records, “Impressive talents” JazzChicago.net, “She’s at the top of the jazz piano genre” Wind & Wire, and from JazzReview.com, “Seductive.” Her penchant for playing with some of the greatest names in jazz has also been noted. She has worked with Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Larry Grenadier, Bobby Militello, Tal Bergman, Jeremy Pelt, J.D. Allen, Reggie McBride and Steve Wilson amongst others.
Due to the challenges in her own music education, Hilton is now very committed to music programs for children and teens, especially for those that are blind or visually impaired, such as programs at Perkins School for the Blind in Waterton, Massuchusetts near Boston, the Junior Blind of America's Camp Bloomfield, and The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind.
Favorite jazz pianists: Brad Mehldau, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Ahmad Jamal, and Herbie Hancock.
Musical influences: I have been inspired and influenced by Cool Jazz, also referred to at times as West Coast Jazz, which includes the work of Miles' Davis's Kind of Blue, (1957) and Birth of Cool (1960), as well as by earlier work by Dave Brubeck and Herbie Hancock. As a composer I appreciate Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Thelonious Monk and early Herbie Hancock.
My music is influenced by the strong melodies of our great American Standards writers with names like Gershwin, Arlen, and Mancini with their memorable tunes and interesting harmonies. Few people write like that today, but we continue to listen, arrange and play these same tunes that are now over 70 years old. I am also greatly influenced by Cool Jazz, which is sometimes incorrectly referred to as West Coast Jazz. Cool jazz claims many of the best selling jazz albums of all times: Miles Davis's Kind of Blue 1957, and Birth of Cool: 1950, Dave Brubeck's Time Out 1959 and probably encompasses the Grammy Album of the Year Winner in 1964 of Getz/ Gilberto too. Like all artists, I really am affected by today as well, and I listen to blues, (American Folk Music), alternative, emo, rock, pop and of course have a background in classical as well as 20th century music too. I believe jazz should, and can encompass a lot of different influences, so anything from Paramore to Bartok to Muddy Waters, to Monk have influenced me, but it is my own life, my own experiences, my own spirit in my compositions: the piano is my voice.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who are your favorite jazz pianists?
LH: Brad Mehldau, Jean Michel Pilc, and Kenny Barron.
What piano do you record on?
LH: I recorded my CDs “Playing by Heart”, “Cocktails at Eight…”, and “Feeling Good” on a Steinway D at Chick Corea’s Mad Hatter studio in Los Feliz California, (the studio has now been sold). The Steinway was signed inside the case by many great jazz pianists like Dave Brubeck and Oscar Peterson. The CD’s “Seduction”, “In the Mood for Jazz”, "Jazz After Hours" , and "My Favorite Things" were recorded on a 7’ Yamaha at Castle Oaks studio in Calabasas, California. "Midnight in Manhattan" was recorded on a Steinway at Capitol Studios, and "The New York Sessions" was recorded on a Hamburg Steinway provided by Steinway and Sons at Avatar Studios, NYC. "Sunny Day Theory" was a Hamburg Steinway D at Capitol Studios.
How old were you when you started playing the piano?
LH: I started piano lessons at the age of eight, but I taught myself to play and even composed a little before then. I always loved the piano as a child and begged for lessons.
How much do you practice the piano?
LH: I don’t actually even call it practicing, (that sounds like work, doesn’t it?), but I enjoy playing 4 hour stretches, although I don’t always have that amount of time. I start with scales, which I enjoy. Sometimes I'll spend time composing instead of playing. I do not play every day.
How do you get your ideas for your compositions?
LH: It feels as though the music is just there, and all I need to do is listen to it, and work with it a bit to see where it develops. I do try to recreate certain moods, feelings or experiences that I have felt though. My music is like an emotional photo album in a way. When I play the music, I revisit that time when I wrote the song. Sometimes I just create music that’s fun to play on the piano too!
Do you sing?
LH: I’m asked that all the time!!! I compose, play the piano, arrange, produce, perform, and even dance a little, but I think singing should be left to the many people who have amazing voices and not to the back-up singer types like myself!
© 2008 Lisa Hilton Music. All Rights Reserved
