Lisa Hilton, Author at Lisa Hilton Music

Take me on your vacay….

August 11, 2019 by Lisa Hilton

That’s right… Lisa Hilton OASIS CD might be on your flight!

I hope your summer is going well! If you plan a vacation, I just want to point out that you can travel with our music too! Why not relax with a little jazz and OASIS when you’re flying? And while your at it, here’s the video again – feel free to post on your social networks just to create a summer vibe! ! OASIS OFFICIAL VIDEO it’s beautiful isn’t it? (No that’s not me swimming!)

I’ve had several people ask me WHEN ARE YOUR NEXT TOUR DATES? These are the upcoming dates but they are not posted yet – we will take photos s o o n and use them for posting the events when the new music is done in about a month, but…. here they are:
JANUARY 9/THURSDAY 8PM: CARNEGIE HALL/NYC with JD Allen/sax, Rudy Royston/drums and Luques Curtis/bass https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2020/01/09/Lisa-Hilton-Piano-0800PM

FEBRUARY 21/FRIDAY 8PM SF JAZZ/SAN FRANCISCO, CA with Rudy Royston/drums and Luques Curtis/bass

FEBRUARY 22/Saturday 8PM KUUMBWA JAZZ/SANTA CRUZ, CA with Rudy Royston/drums and Luques Curtis/bass

FEBRUARY 23/SUNDAY 8PM PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY Malibu, CA with Rudy Royston/drums and Luques Curtis/bass

APRIL 14/ 10:45 AM PERKINS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND/BOSTON, MA

APRIL 15/WEDNESDAY BOSTON, MA TBD

APRIL 16/THURSDAY BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS/CHICAGO, IL 6pm

Speaking of new music… I’m headed to the studio very soon with 9 brand new original compositions + 1 cover song. It’s been an incredibly creative spring – 9 new tunes is a lot, and I’m excited to be back in NYC with my musical “family” recording great new music to share with you soon. My last couple weeks of August I’ll be finishing up the music and still finding time for get togethers with family, friends and loved ones. Only a few more days of summer left so I want to make the best of this time!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and if you’re flying, remember you can take me with ya!
Lisa Hilton
Award winning jazz composer/pianistLisaHiltonMusic.com
Ruby Slippers Productions
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The Official Start to Summer

May 27, 2019 by Lisa Hilton

Category 1

Hello there,
’Tis the official start of the summer season, but it takes a little imagination to believe that, right? Yesterday the sun was shining and the locals were out in my ‘hood as you can see in the photo. Is that a little smile on that beak? I think so. Like almost everywhere, our sunny days are limited so far this year. I hope this isn’t permanent, but for now, we all need to enjoy the good weather whenever it shows up.

It’s a nice time of year for me as I’m in my “composing season” – working on new compositions. There’s LOTS of new music – LOTS of it. Is there more creativity when times are difficult? Hmmm… there was that evacuation and the post fire presence is still around…. Who knows, but when creativity strikes there’s no need to question it – just enjoy it!

Besides composing I’m also booking my shows for 2020. So far: Carnegie Hall/ NYC /Jan 9, SF Jazz/San Francisco/ Feb 21, Kuumbwa/Santa Cruz, CA/Feb 22 and Pepperdine University/Feb 23/Malibu, CA and Buddy Guy’s/Chicago April 16 with more dates to come. I also participated in the United Way HomeWalk in dtla along with 15,000 others to raise money and awareness for our homeless issues. A very, very important cause.

Wishing you a good start to the summer season and wishing everyone everywhere some better weather!
Take care,Lisa

Spring Tour Recap

April 22, 2019 by Lisa Hilton

Category 1

#jazz, #LisaHilton, #livemusic

On stage at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago

I had a great time touring…

Hello everyone!
I had a great time touring and meeting people sharing the music from OASIS. Fortunately there was fairly good weather, although it did snow during my Ann Arbor show, but it was beautiful in Boston and really nice in Chicago. I always enjoy sharing the music and meeting piano enthusiasts everywhere I go. I finished the tour with a quick trip to SF to visit family and see a Brad Mehldau show at SFJazz too. So what’s up now? Well, a little spring cleaning – like everyone – and now I’m in my Composing Season – which is my favorite time. It’s such a treat to be back creating new ideas at my beloved piano! What will come out next?
I would like to take the time to thank EVERYONE EVERYWHERE who has played, streamed, voted for, wrote about, purchased, came to a live show or otherwise supported our album OASIS – we have really appreciated the love and it keeps going forward too – the music will be great for the warmer months too!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR ALBUM OASIS:

2SER 107.3/Australia, ACIK RADYO/Turkey, AMERICAN JAZZ/CA, ANIMA JAZZ/Italy, AUSSIE GROWN RADIO/Australia, BBC/GLOBAL RADIO/ENERGY FM/UK, BLISS BUBBLE RADIO/ CA, BLUES NET RADIO/PA, CALM RADIO/Canada, Celestial Reasonings/CA, CFRO/Canada, CIBL/Canada, CILU/Canada, CITR/Canada, CJUM/Canada, CKSJ/Canada, CKUW/Canada, GAIA PRIME RADIO/ MA, GMHT/Netherlands, GOOGLE PLAY, GOTRADIO/PIANO, GROOVERA NEW MODERN RADIO/CA, GYDNIA RADIO/Polland, HAYES FM/UK, HPPR-2KANZ, HI, IMC RADIO/MS, INSTRAMENTAL HITS RADIO/online, JAZZ AFTER HOURS/syndicated, KBMF/MT, KIOS/MA, KJZZ/AZ, KKRW/CA, JAZZ CENTRAL SINE FM/UK, JAZZ FROM GALLERY 41/Syndicated, JAZZ HEART RADIO/South Korea, KAWC/KAWP/AZ, HFM RADIO/UK, JAZZ FM/UK, JAZZ HAPPENING NOW/CA, JAZZ 24/7 from WBGH/MA, K107 FM Kirkcaldy Community Radio/Scotland, KAFM/JAZZ ALLEY/CO, JOURNEYSCAPES RADIO/FL, KANU/KANH/KANV/KS, KAOI/HI, KAOS/WA, KBEM/MN, KBRW/AK, KCCK/IA, KCMJ/CO, KCSB/CA, KCSM/CA, KDNK/CO, KEOL/OR, KEWU/WA, KKCR/HI, KKRN/CA, KMNO/HI, KMUN/OR, KMXT/KUHB/AK, KNTU/TX, KNOM/AK, KOPN/MO, KOSA/CA, KPBX/WA, KPFA/OR, KRCL/UT, KRSC/KY, KRTU/TX, KRVR/CA, KSDS/CA, KSER/WA, KTEP/online, KTOO/AK, KUAC/AK, KUBU/CA, KUTX/TX, KUVO/KVJZ/CO, KVNF/CO, KVPR/CA, KVSF/NM, KWMR/CA, KYGT/CO, LAB FM/UK, LAST FM/UK, LAUT FM/online, MAX FM/Australia, MOJA/NY, MPR/MT, MUSICAS IMAGINADAS/SPAIN, OCAN RADIO CHILLED/online, ONDA LATINA/Spain, OUTSIGHT RADIO HOURS/online, PANDORA, PEACEFUL RADIO/Netherlands, RADIO 6 INTERNATIONAL/ Scotland, RADIO 794/Netherlands, RADIO ARC EN CIEL/France, RADIOACTIVE FM/New Zealand, RADIO ART/Greece, RADIO DESPI/Spain, RADIO DOMELDO/Romanian, RADIO GALILEE/ Canada, RADIO ILIBERIS/Spain, RADIO KANSAS/KS, RADIO MUZKOM/Russia, RADIO REGENT JAZZ ZONE/Canada, RADIO RICK/Netherlands, RADIO PALAFRUGELL/SPAIN, RADIO PRAETORIA/France, RADIO SEAGULL/Norway, RADIO VIDEO/Ireland, RADIO VALENCIA/CA, RADIO X/Germany, SLOR/Netherlands, TAINT RADIO/NC, TAMESIDE RADIO/UK, THE CHIEFTONS RADIO/Spain, THE GLOBAL VOICE/WQNA/ Canada, THE LOUNGE/CA, THE NETWORK RADIO/Italy, TOPPY JAZZ/Germany, UBUNTU FM/Africa, URQUIZA FM/Argentina, VOICE OF AMERICA/Syndicated, WAJH/AL, WAWL/TN, WBGU/OH, WCLK/GA, WCNI/CT, WCNY/NY, WDCB/IL, WDCB/IL, WDNA/FL, WDVR/NJ, WERU/ME, WESS/PA, WFCF, WFIT/FL, WFIT/NY, WGMC/NY, WGVU/MI, WHFC/MD, WHPC/NY, WHRV/VA, WHYR/LA, WICN/MA, WICR/IN, WJFF/ PA, WJMX/MA, WJSU/MS, WKNH/NH, WLNZ/MI, WMHB/WXNZ/ME, WMKY/KY, WMNR/WRXC/WGRS/CT, WMSE/WI, WMUA/MA, WMUH/PA, WNCU/NC, WNMC/MI, WORLD OF JAZZ PODCAST/Internet, WOOC/NY, WPRB/MA, WRIR/VA, WRPI/NY, WRTI/PA, WTCC/MA, WTJU/VA, WTUL/LA, WUEV/IN, WUMR/WI, WUNH/NH, WUOT/TN, WUSF/WUSR/FL, WVKR/NY, WVUD/DE, WVYC/PA, WWOZ/LA, WWSP/WI, WWUF/CT, WXOU/WMCB/MA, WXNZ/ME, WYBF/PA, WEPHYR PLANET RADIO/GA, ZONE MUSIC REPORTER/LA

Enjoy the S P R I N G !

SPRING IS HERE!

March 27, 2019 by Lisa Hilton

Category 1

#jazz, #LisaHilton, blog, piano

Hi there!
I took a little Spring Break last week and went to Joshua Tree National Park in the Mohave Desert – my first time there. (You might remember that we shot the haunting video for “Mojave Moon” from our ESCAPISM album last year there, but it was done by my director James Grant at full moon so I did not go on that trip). It was absolutely A M A Z I N G! Yes, Yosemite and the Big Sur coastline are incredibly beautiful in a traditional way, but Joshua Tree looks like you are on a different planet – everything is unusual – the foliage, rocks, and of course the scale are all mind boggling. You can tell by my parka that it was cold there – it’s a high desert – but the south entrance to the park was lower altitude and strewn with wildflowers for a warm welcome. For anyone who’s a nature lover like I am, I definitely recommend a trip there.
Speaking of ESCAPISM, (a good topic after my spring break!) that album is up for Album of the Year and Best Piano Album with Instrumentation of the Year awards at Zone Music Reporter – thank you! Remember the songs Zero Gravity and 29 Palms? So nice to receive the nominations – we really appreciate the love!
OASIS continues to have wonderful support too, and we are so grateful for the wide embrace from radio and streaming shows as well as many positive reviews – like this new one: “Excellent trio mates…Hilton’s compositions remain the album’s primary strength.” Neil Tesser/WFMT/Jazziz OASIS has been:
#1 NEW RELEASES/COOL JAZZ Amazon

One of the Best Releases of 2018 All About Jazz

#1 JAZZ CHART KZSU/Stanford University Radio

#2 ZMR RADIO CHART/JAN 2019/Zone Music Report

TOP 5 JAZZ ARTISTS OF 2018 FemMusic

#5 ALL GENRES/KZSU/Stanford University Radio

#6 JAZZWEEK RADIO CHART 2019 JazzWeek

ARTIST OF THE MONTH / DECEMBER 2018 Sounds of Timeless Jazz

Pretty please…. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, or come if you can to the last remaining shows this spring:

MARCH 30 / SATURDAY / KERRYTOWN CONCERT HOUSE / 8PM 415 N. 4^th Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 http://www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com/index.php/events/event/lisa-hilton/

APRIL 2 / TUES/BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS / CHICAGO/IL / 5PM 700 S. Wabash Ave. | Chicago, IL 60605 https://chicagolighthouse.org/event/jazz-night/And for those pre- planners, next year CARNEGIE HALL/NYC will be January 9th/Thursday.
Take care, and enjoy the official start of spring.

Thank you for the praise…

February 22, 2019 by Lisa Hilton

Category 1

#jazz, #music, lisa hilton, Oasis

Reviews for OASIS: Lisa Hilton with Luques Curtis & Mark Whitfield Jr.

AMAZON.COM/#1 NEW RELEASES/COOL JAZZ

One of the Best Releases of 2018 All About Jazz

TOP 5 JAZZ ARTISTS OF 2018 FemMusic.com

ARTIST OF THE MONTH / DECEMBER 2018 Sounds of Timeless Jazz

“Like whispers of a better place just around the corner if you’re prepared to take the ride, the tunes of West Coast mainstay and prolific pianist/composer Lisa Hilton’s exciting, well paced OASIS work their way into your listening space and take up residence…. Hilton’s active left hand teams brilliantly with the resilient give and take and formidable chops of bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Mark Whitley Jr.” All About Jazz

“‘Oasis’ is freedom and lyrical art. It overflows with Hilton’s somersaulting narrative, lyricism in every note, turning and churning in on itself — expressed with thought, clarity, and the fusion of movement and texture. Hilton slips in a whirlwind of feeling in “Watercolor World,” as a painter would to her canvas — in splashes and spurts, behind your back. The composition unravels in ever-shifting threads, which she seems to brush and stroke back into a semblance of orderly life. Her aerial lifts bank up against contrasting, darker chords for that subtle textural context she’s known for.” Festival Peak

“Hilton’s artistry never waivers: her compositional skills and classically informed arrangements are uniformly smart and her playing has never been less than inspired… a master of melodicism & dynamics.” Jazz Times

“Throughout the musicianship is excellent. The songs are melodious, memorable and swinging…add this to your must-hear list.” NYC Jazz Record

“Reliably exceptional – that is how I would describe Lisa Hilton. … Her composing and performance could be described as existing between impressionism and expressionism, but the one thing all her performances have is a heartbeat. Swinging-ly grounded in the beat she establishes is where Hilton’s charm shines the brightest.” C. Michael Bailey/All About Jazz

“Lisa Hilton shows her impressive composing skills as well as ability to create a sonic mood. She’s able to mix classical impressionistic moods a la Debussy, but with a swinging pulse.” Jazz Weekly

“Pulsing with a West Coast cool energy.” Jazziz Magazine

“The new trio brilliantly showcase their collective abilities. OASIS has many merits: Lisa Hilton provides her stunning virtuosity beautifully and exquisitely” Sounds of Timeless Jazz

“Some of the same insouciant spirit as much of Paul Desmond.” Arts Journal

“Hilton takes it old school with a cool school set…the vibe is low key and the notes get your head bobbing. Mighty chops and good taste…another winner from a winner herself.” Midwest Record

“I liked the way Lisa Hilton plays jazz from the first album I heard and Oasis is no exception. She plays jazz…”delicious” – both hands of the pianist work like a clock.” Leonid Auskern/Jazz Quad/Russia

“Hilton shows off her left-handed dexterity, while her right hand improvises brightly. Mark Whitfield Jr., keeps the trap drums strong beneath her up-tempo prowess. Luques Curtis, on bass, locks into the production to bring solid support.” Musical Memoirs/Dee Dee McNeil

“Beautiful sounds & clever but informative repartee – Hilton continued to draw undivided attention to her introspective playing style as well as the layers and layers of piano virtuosity.” Performance review 1/5/2019/Sounds of Timeless Jazz

“Wonderful mood created, great taste, fabulous style.” JazzHQ

“A deep world that has been instantly woven within the piano performance”. Catfish Records/JapanOASIS RADIO/STREAMING REVIEWS

“What a refreshing and relaxing CD: I’m super impressed Hilton and company know how to keep on raising the bar.” MAX fm/Australia“This award winner has gained the respect of an array of living legends, and she has worked alongside MANY. It all translates into extraordinary music that is compared to jazz & classical icons. Lisa Hilton is RARE.” Hybrid Jazz

“Beautiful album.” DJ Jazzmadass Radio X 91.8 FM – Frankfurt, Germany

“Nice!” Groovera New Modern Radio – San Francisco

“Nice cool jazz vibe.” WVYC /PA

“Cool!” Radio MUZKOM – Moscow, Russia

“OASIS, is like a perfectly toasted slice of buttered bread & jam…still warm, crusty & mellow.” Capt Christopher, “The Clearing” WHYR/LA

“Excellent album, first class playing” Radio Six International/ Scotland

“Great jazz!” CKSJ FM – St John’s, NL

“A great mix of up tempo fun, wonderful, serious, and sensitive pieces. All great music.” WUNH/NH

“Always a fresh approach to her music!” WHFC /MD

“I dig Lisa Hilton and play her regularly on my show “Jazz Alley.” KAFM/CO

“I love the style and the records of this great Jazz Lady. This new album is one of the best jazz records . Congratulations!!!!” FM Urquiza – Argentina

“Lisa Hilton and her piano – it’s always a pleasure!” Radio Arc-en-Ciel/France

“I like the punchy attack on those chords.” CJUM-FM FM – Winnipeg, Canada

“Jazz piano that makes the background a foreground.” Outsight Radio Hours

“Good songs.” The Chieftains Radio/ Spain

“Cool and measured, a pleasure” CILU Canada / One Fine Morning Show

“Very nice!” Radioactive 88.6 FM – Wellington, New Zealand

“Amazing & masterpiece music. Fabulous collaboration!” WJMX /Boston, MA

“I like this & will promote this album on my station.” RadioRick/Netherlands

“Another excellent presentation from Lisa Hilton.” RadioVideo/Ireland

“Very enjoyable.” Radio Seagull 1602 AM – Harlingen, UK

“Engaging music!” 94.7 The Pulse – Victoria, Australia / Just Jazz

“Always great to get a new album from Lisa.” World of Jazz Podcast

“Classy stuff, and very much into this. Especially liking “Just For Fun”. Shades of Allen Toussaint going on. Wonderful.” 2SER – Sydney, Australia

“Nice listening.” Açık Radyo 94.9 – Instanbul, Turkey

“Love it. Looking forward to playing on The Jazz Lounge” /CO

“Ideal for my Sunday afternoon show” Hayes 91.8 FM – Hayes, UK

“Sparkling!” Gdynia Radio – Tricity Poland / Gdynia, Sopot and Gdańsk

“Great disc” Onda Latina 87.6 – Madrid, Spain

“Wonderful music!!!!” Jazz From Gallery 41 Syndicated

“West coast cool & energetic heat, an interesting mix.” Jazz Central, SINE/UK

“Always fine a new album by Lisa Hilton.” Popjablues/ Radio /Netherlands

“Cream of the crop for me.” Tameside Radio / UK

“11 dazzling contemporary jazz compositions. Hilton puts her musical prowess front & center.” Lab.fm/UK

“A brilliant female pianist – passionate phrase with a melodic voice and a glowing sense.” Rakuten/Japan

“A superb new album from Lisa Hilton!” Dr.Best: Radio Z / Germany

“What a fantastic body of work… Bravo!!!!… Secklow FM / UK

“Hilton’s playing is classic, fresh and timeless all at once…” WOJBWI

“Gorgeous sexy jazz! Beautiful and so soulful…” Dr. StrangeDub: KFAI/MN

“Stellar production!” 3MBR FM/Australia

“Super!” Offener Kanal Lubeck FM/ Germany

“Amazing!” Bondi FM – Bondi Beach/Australia

“Beautiful! Perfect for my Sunday morning show!” WNTI 91.9 FM/NJ

“Elegant and intelligent.” Jazz On The Rocks Radio Show/ CFBX/ Canada

“Another delightful recording from Lisa.” WNMU/Marquette, Michigan,

“Really fine & cool sounds.” Outta Mi Yard Radio – Rome Italy

“Excelente!” Locos Por El Jazz Radio Fantasia 89.5 FM/ Dominican Republic

“Evocative & poetic talent far from clichés or pianistic chatter. Luques Curtis & Mark Whitfield Jr. punctuate this ballad of adventures that emits an obvious artistic & musical truth. These artists lead us with Oasis to a haven of peace. The compositions change us & give us a moment of fullness and intelligence of the heart.” Recommended by Les Cats Rebel/ Paris, France

“Beautiful tracks.” Boogie Bunker Radio/UK

“Lisa Hilton….hell yes!!!” KZFR FM/ Chico, CA,

“Really Cool music.” Armada Music – Amsterdam, Netherlands

“Always a musical treat” CIWS 102.7 FM /Canada

“One of Lisa Hilton’s finest recordings!” Fine Music 102.5 FM/NSW, Australia

“I like Lisa Hilton very much.” Alain Lalancette CKIA /Quebec City, Canada

“A very good mix of compositions and Fascinating Rhythm is always a great standard to include on any album.” Sea Haven FM – UK

C R A Z Y W E A T H E R

February 21, 2019 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Lisa Hilton

#jazz, #LisaHiltonMusic, #music, Carnegie Hall, Creative, lisa hilton, zipper hall

Hi there!

I hope you are making it through our C R A Z Y W E A T H E R winter! We’ve had a lot of rain in SoCal, but everything is fine where I live and the plants and trees have never looked healthier. Years of drought and now above average rainfall makes for lush green foliage – something we haven’t seen for a while. There should be a lot of wildflowers very soon too.

I had a GREAT TIME performing at Zipper Hall in dtla (you can tell by the smile in the pic!) and had a little birthday celebration afterwards that was fun. Carnegie Hall was wonderful with my trio – I always enjoy playing there, and performing with Luques Curtis and Mark Whitfield Jr. was a highlight! Here are the UPCOMING PERFORMANCES…. please see if you can come:FEB 28 / THURSDAY / SF JAZZ/ JOE HENDERSON LAB /8PM https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/productions/lisa-hilton-new-music-from-her-album-oasis/ A terrific club near great restaurants in Hayes Valley.

MARCH 30 / SATURDAY / KERRYTOWN CONCERT HOUSE / 8PM Ann Arbor, MI 48104 http://www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com/index.php/events/event/lisa-hilton/ My first time performing in Ann Arbor, Michigan

APRIL 2 / TUES/BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS / CHICAGO/IL / 5:30 PM https://chicagolighthouse.org/event/jazz-night/ ALWAYS fun here – it’s an early show, so there’s time to go to another show afterwards – the club is right off Michigan Ave.

For those of you who like to plan ahead….January 9th/ 2020 at Carnegie Hall/NYC if you haven’t gone to a performance there yet, maybe next year?

Wonderful news: OASIS was #1 at Amazon for New Release for a while: Amazon.com – quite a nice surprise to see that. (If you’ve got a moment please leave a review at Amazon) OASIS is currently in the Top 14 at JazzWeek Radio Charts – down a bit from #6 recently. So we’ve been very happy with the response to the new music. And we’re always happy for praise: “Hilton’s artistry never waivers: her compositional skills and classically informed arrangements are uniformly smart and her playing has never been less than inspired… a master of melodicism and dynamics.” Jazz Times/ Jeff Tamarkin and “Reliably exceptional – that is how I would describe Lisa Hilton. … Her composing and performance could be described as existing between impressionism and expressionism, but the one thing all her performances have is a heartbeat. Swinging-ly grounded in the beat she establishes is where Hilton’s charm shines the brightest.”C. Michael Bailey/All About JazzSomething new

Lastly…I’m kind of excited about -if you have a moment here is the new project I’ve been working on – a website where I will begin music licensing for film/television/websites or other needs: Ruby Slippers Productions

Take care and hope to see you this spring at a concert!

Lisa

Q&A With the Creative Team for the OASIS Video and Photography

December 7, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

Blog

Creative, jazz, Oasis, piano

James Grant/Director, Emily Ruth Roche/Actress, Aaron Regan/ Photographer

OASIS OFFICIAL VIDEO
FOR DIRECTOR JAMES GRANT: @SpaceKidJames

Q: The Lisa Hilton OASIS video has been affecting people very positively and is incredibly creative. How long did the video shoot take and how large was your crew? I’m glad the video has been received so well – it was a great opportunity to experiment with effects and create a world within another. We only had a window of about 3 hours in which the lighting in and around the pool was ideal for both principal photography and the effects we employed. I tend to prefer working with a small crew of trusted friends and colleagues – for Oasis, I had the pleasure of working with my usual core group of four: myself, my Director of Photography Blake Gaytan, Camera Assistant Sam Shikiar, and Production Coordinator Courtney Cohen… and Emily of course!

Q: You must have been in the pool too, right? It must have been cold – how did you manage? I actually didn’t get in the pool, my Director of Photography, Blake, was the underwater photographer on Oasis; I was able to watch the wireless feed from the camera at the edge of the pool. So while I wasn’t actually under the water, I was watching what he was shooting in all the underwater sequences. Blake and I have actually done a number of underwater shoots prior to Oasis, and we both love the underwater aesthetic, so we both jumped at the chance to try out some new techniques that we made possible with the underwater camera rig and housing we used. Blake had a diving mask and snorkel as well as a weighted dive belt and wet suit that allowed him to sink below and around Emily to capture the surreal angles that are showcased in the video. Safety was paramount and we were all standing by and ready to jump in and give assistance if necessary, but both Blake and Emily were absolute professionals and nailed the choreography that emerged between them while underwater without a hitch.

Q: What was the concept and experience you were trying to create? Early in the pre-production talks with Lisa, we knew we wanted the pool to represent the subconscious and the interaction between Lisa and the swimmer to embody an ethereal coexistence. That’s why you’re never really able to identify Emily in the video – Lisa and I wanted her to remain enigmatic – to represent the escape that an oasis provides to a restless mind. I think that the piano is where Lisa finds her oasis, so during the editing process I really tried to represent the world that she creates in the song as a dance between the polar worlds of tension and release, fluidity and rigidity… That dance is what I tried to create and extend through the experimental practical effects that we used in the video, which at times escape detection and others are relatively obvious, all by design.

Q: Yeah, there were some clever visual ideas you used – can you share some of those? While I don’t want let all of the cats out of the proverbial bag, I will say that several trips to a crystal store were required, as well as many hours testing in a separate pool for some of the practical effects we used in Oasis. Going in, I knew I wanted to experiment with novel approaches to diffraction and reflection. I knew that just shooting underwater without any sort of effect wouldn’t fully convey the subconscious world that Lisa and I wanted to create underwater. I also didn’t want to use any digital effects – I wanted everything to be done in camera. After experimenting with several different undisclosed mediums of diffusion, we settled on three that we used to their full potential throughout the shoot.

Q: Emily looks perfect; how did you cast her? Was it difficult to get her to do all the swim moves? I cannot say enough about how great Emily was to work with in the pool, anything we wanted to try she was absolutely on board with. During the casting process, both Lisa and I knew that a strong swimming ability was an absolute necessity. Swimming tends to quite commonly claimed as a skill, but after emailing back and forth with Emily, she really sold me with her background as both a surfer and a competitive swimmer in Australia.

FOR ACTRESS/MODEL Emily Ruth Roche: @EmilyRuthRoche

Q: You must have had a lot of swimming experience before the Lisa Hilton OASIS video – did you grow up swimming in Australia? I did! I’ve always been a strong swimmer! In Australia it’s actually a law that every child take swimming lessons at 18 months old. From there I spent a lot of time in the water, from surfing to competitive swimming.

Q: Was the director James Grant, specific in what he asked you to do? Was that difficult to translate his vision underwater while holding your breath? James was a fantastic director! He sent over a vision board pre-shoot, for some inspiration. The board had a ton of pictures of beautiful flowing dresses in the water. He also sent me some great videos that captured the emotion of what he envisioned. As for the breathe holding; I think all the yoga and breathe work I do came in handy, so it wasn’t difficult to stay in the emotional tone he wanted.

Q: What was the temperature and how long were you in the pool? Would you do another underwater video, or was that enough? It was a full day of filming – I think in total I was in the water for about 5 hours. Luckily the pool we shot in was heated at a beautifully warm temperature of 85 degrees. I actually loved it! I reapplied sun screen a few times, and got out to warm up a few times. But I wouldn’t hesitate to jump in for another underwater shoot (no pun intended haha).

Q: You look amazing in the video – were you surprised at how ethereal it looks now that it’s done? I was blown away at the finished product. It’s always exciting to see the final edit, because you never know what has been seen through the lens. And James absolutely nailed it. I’m very proud to be a part of it!
FOR PHOTOGRAPHER/DESIGNER AARON REGAN: @IWouldPut

Q: Wow is it unusual to do the photography AND the design on a project – do you normally work that way? Do you think it’s easier or more difficult to do both? Every now and again both seem to align. I was happy with the outcome of the photos, so when it came to designing for Lisa’s album it all came together nicely. Not too sure if it’s easier or difficult, but definitely more fun. Photos and design work so well together.

Q: What was the idea and concept or vibe you were going for on the album cover and booklet? The title Oasis kind of sums up the concept. I think it’s that place that’s inviting and warm: a place you don’t want to leave.

Q: Was it difficult shooting the swimmer Emily with a still camera rather than video? Did you have to get in the water to shoot? I didn’t need to get in the water; I think that could have been cool though! I shot mostly out of focus images of her while she was swimming and tried to get a dreamy look going on. I like how the tones of all the images turned out and how well everything works together with the video and music too.

Q: Hanging around a pool on a sunny day seems like a pretty good job Aaron – is that a typical day in your creative life? I wouldn’t say a typical day, but from time to time those kind of photo shoots do happen. It’s nice to get outside to work and take photos instead of designing, which I do mostly at the computer.

C O M I N G S O O N !

November 17, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

Blog

OASIS VIDEO

OASIS on Amazon OASIS on iTunes

IT’S BEEN HOT…..

August 13, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Lisa Hilton, piano

jazz, lisa hilton, piano

Hello from the beach!

If the weather’s hot, and the water’s warm… better be sure your music matches! Here’s a few selections to take your mind off the thermometer:

HEAT WAVE

HOT SUMMER SAMBA

TOO HOT

I’ll be in the studio very very soon…. new music coming before the end of the year….

Stay cool!

Lisa
Award winning jazz composer/pianist

Photos by David Oscar Flores
LisaHiltonMusic.com
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Ahhh….summer!

June 14, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

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Escapism, jazz, JD Allen, Jeremy Pelt, Larry Grenadier, Lewis Nash, lisa hilton, piano jazz

Hello Hello,

I couldn’t resist sending this shot out after I recovered it from an old email -it’s really my favorite band shot of all times! That’s saxophonist, JD Allen, bassist Larry Grenadier, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and drummer Lewis Nash with me on a rainy day in 2009 in a photo by David Gordon. The adjectives “hard-working” are normally attached to my name, but you can see very clearly we still have time to enjoy ourselves! I loved the “Twilight & Blues” recording sessions at Avatar Studios in NYC- Jeremy and JD were really close friends and very fun and upbeat working together. Lewis is, of course, a legend, and I worked with Larry so long he really did seem like family, and we’re both from California – doesn’t he look like he could be family? (Although it’s JD, who calls me ‘sis’.)

I hope you’re enjoying the beginning of summer – always my favorite time of year – and also my Composing Season – longer days at the piano go perfectly with beach walks and bbq’s if you ask me. Yes, I’ve got plenty of new music I’m developing and then will record later this summer, for a late 2018 release, and with new bandmates this time around, so I’m excited about what we’ll create. I, (very surprisingly), got a vacay this year – in Japan – and enjoyed the time off, the culture and, everywhere I went there, the jazz. Jazz in coffee shops, vintage clothes shops or teeny smoke-filled bars – sounding like the soundtrack to my life. A great trip!

Still thankful for all the support from everywhere for our album, ESCAPISM – which is still doing well at radio, and currently on one radio chart. I’m hoping that everyone is playing “Hot Summer Samba!”

I’m also working to set up the tour dates for next year – although the tickets are not on sale, or the listings up yet, here are a few dates, so mark your calendars:

JANUARY 5TH/SATURDAY ZIPPER HALL/ downtown Los Angeles/ 8 PM – THIS IS MY BIRTHDAY!

JANUARY 10th/THURSDAY WEILL HALL/CARNEGIE HALL/NYC 8 PM

FEBRUARY 28TH/THURSDAY/SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ/8 PM

APRIL 2/TUESDAY/BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS/CHICAGO/ 6PM

Handy Links:

Enjoy these long days – hopefully filled with sunshine!

Lisa

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Take me on your vacay….

The Official Start to Summer

Spring Tour Recap

I had a great time touring…

SPRING IS HERE!

Thank you for the praise…

C R A Z Y W E A T H E R

Q&A With the Creative Team for the OASIS Video and Photography

C O M I N G S O O N !

IT’S BEEN HOT…..

Ahhh….summer!