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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

Blog

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

Jazz everywhere!

May 10, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Lisa Hilton, Luques Curtis, Rudy Royston, twenty first century jazz

composer, jazz, lisa hilton, piano

Hello, Hello,

I hope all is going well for you. I just got back myself from a bit of travel – a meeting at Berklee College in Boston for the Presidents Advisory Committee, a solo show in Chicago and then a trio show with Luques Curtis and Rudy Royston (see photos above), at the Smithsonian in Washington. Great shows and audiences – and TERRIFIC warm weather in DC – hot even! Then a vacay in Japan and a short trip to Santa Barbara, but I’m home and cozy in Malibu again. I loved the shows and it is always great to play with Luques and Rudy, (JD had a show at Dizzy’s the same night and couldn’t make it). What really inspired me in Japan, was that I heard American jazz EVERYWHERE – in restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, vintage shops – every place I went -imagine jazz everywhere! It felt like the soundtrack to my life!

We are very very thankful for the hundreds and hundreds of radio stations, streaming services, playlists, and podcasts that have supported ESCAPISM – still on two radio charts after 4 months – thank you! So wonderful! I got to do interviews for radio from London to Atlantic too. Hoping Hot Summer Samba becomes a theme song for this summer!

We have been very happy about all the nice reviews and encouragement for ESCAPISM too. Lots of photos here from my Los Angles show: “Hilton unlocks dreamy transcendence… “ and a very thoughtful review here on page 53 …”The First Lady of Jazz Piano…” , and from Aiding & Abetting – Cruising Underground Culture “Hilton is a font of creativity, finding almost endless ways to wring new ideas out of the piano, and her band is the perfect combination of side players and solo partners. The grooves here are almost endless.”

So what’s up now after this busy month? Setting up Carnegie Hall – January 10th 2019 and SFJazz February 28th 2019 as well as others. Now is the time to set shows up, so please contact me if you have any good ideas for performances and who to contact, K? I still have some “music-keeping” tasks – updating my song and copyright lists for my publishing company and online sources – that kind of thing. But mostly this is the opening of my OFFICIAL COMPOSING SEASON, so I’m back doing what I love to do and wondering what will appear this year?

Wishing you a great end of spring!

Lisa

It’s been really nice….

April 4, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Lisa Hilton, piano jazz

composer, jazz, jazz and piano, lisa hilton

Hi there!

Hope you had a nice holiday weekend – I feasted and, I suppose, “Fested” a bit with family and friends but still got a big hike in the Santa Monica Mountains near my home. Our Spring weather in Cali has been a bit erratic, but we are getting some nice days after all the rain we had. Hope your spring is coming too!

Thank you to the artists at Junior Blind of America/WayFinder Family Services for the nice oversized card! How kind – it was fun to be back on their Los Angeles Campus after a terrific show at San Francisco Jazz – I love that venue! Thank you to all my Malibu friends, family and followers who showed up at Pepperdine University for my performance too – it was so nice to see you there! You can read about it here. “At the hands of pianist and composer Lisa Hilton, the piano is anything but black & white….”

I’m heading out quite soon to donate my time to Berklee College of Music in Boston then I head to Chicago to play at Buddy Guys Legends Club a week from today – 4/10 @ 5pm. PLEEZE come – it’s really fun – and great food too – I always have the grilled chicken salad. That is my last solo piano show of the season, but you also get to hear the jazz vocalist Nikki George who will open the show at about 5pm. (Come early for best seats!) Then off to DC for my last show with my trio with Rudy Royston and Luques Curtis on 4/12 at the Smithsonian and it’s….. FREE! Yep! THE SMITHSONIAN/ Nan McEvoy Auditorium Washington DC 6PM FREE! Who can resist a FREE show during cherry blossom season? If you can’t come to one of these shows, please forward this info to your Chicago friends and family and anyone in the DC area or who might be in town for the cherry blossom festival. btw, if there’s a radio station or other media in the Chicago or DC areas that is interested, I’d love to do a quick interview for the upcoming shows, so please let me know if you’re interested – I just did one today actually.

For those of you who like to plan ahead… Carnegie 2019 has a date: 1/10/ 2019/ Thursday at WEILL HALL AT CARNEGIE HALL/ 8PM/ NYC . I have already heard that people want to attend that one, so mark your calendars so you can plan your weekend tickets for shows ahead of time. Just in case you need them, here are easy links for ESCAPISM:

iTunes and Amazon

I want to also thank everyone around the world for your support of ESCAPISM from A-Z: All Jazz Radio to ZMR! Hundreds and hundreds of radio stations, internet radio, syndicated radio, streaming, and playlists have supported my 20th release – so it’s a real “overnight success!” ESCAPISM has spent almost 3 months right around the Top 10 on two different radio charts. And great reviews from everywhere: Russia, Spain, Argentina, Australia, Africa… and all over the United States and Canada. Thank you all! We are all really thankful for your continued support – we very appreciate it very much.

I’m looking forward to whatever will come next in my upcoming creative season…. stay tuned and take care,

Lisa

Lisa Hilton
Award winning jazz composer/pianist
LisaHiltonMusic.com
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Time for some ESCAPISM, right?

March 14, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Escapism, Lisa Hilton, piano

composer, FREE, jazz, lisa hilton, Luques Curtis, piano, Rudy Royston

It’s A L M O S T Spring!

Not quite, but it’s almost here! I know we have needed the rain and cooler weather, but I’m literally thinking about ESCAPISM, (or maybe it’s Spring Breakism), right now! Doesn’t a warm, sandy (dry) spot sound good today? But for now, I’m just about ready to spend time at my beloved piano, thinking about the upcoming nights of ESCAPISM – the performances that is – that are coming up for our release. We are NUMBER 8 on TWO radio charts! YIPPEE! We love that! Please try and come out to one of these last 3 shows – I really can’t promise any sandy beaches, but I definitely can guarantee you a Hot Summer Samba! Come on, you deserve an little ESCAPISM don’t you?

ENJOY A NIGHT OF PURE ESCAPISM:

3/23 RAITT HALL/PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY/ Malibu, CA/ 8PM This is a solo piano show in an intimate space with great acoustics on my “home court” – the first theatre I performed – in so it should be a really nice show. Come early and have a bite or a drink locally at: Ollo, Tradinoi, Taverna Tony, Cafe Habana or Bui Sushi – all close by and delicious. If you can get to the theater before 8:30 you can stop by the very nice Weissman Museum next door too: I’m very excited about this show and would love to say hi to everyone after and you never know who might show up!

4/10 BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS/ 5PM 700 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL This is a fun, casual yearly event to benefit the Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or Visually impaired. And let’s not forget, that we have run into Mr. Buddy himself on more than one occasion there which is always a thrill too! This starts early with jazz vocalist Nikki George, and then I will come on a bit later. It’s over by 8 so there’s still plenty of time to head out after to your next spot, right? A nice club right off Michigan Avenue makes it an easy stop too.

4/12 THE SMITHSONIAN/ Nan McEvoy Auditorium/Museum of American Art, Washington DC 6PM FREE! with Luques Curtis/bass, Rudy Royston/drums I highly recommend this show too – the last of the tour and with an awesome band too! THIS IS COMPLETELY FREE because it’s the Smithsonian, so come on, and come out! Or come for a long weekend as it’s Cherry Blossom Festival time! Come early and enjoy the beauty of our nations capital and the finest museums along with a free show.

Just a couple of great reviews here – we love the encouragement and support! “A Great Escape.” Jazz Weekly “The cure for winter blues.” WDCE Radio “Escapism is a beautiful recording project”. Anima Jazz/Italy “A bit elegant, a bit adventurous, very clear and crisp sound, a good good release”. WUWF/Florida “Lisa Hilton is amazing!” BONDI RADIO FM Australia “Hilton’s music is picturesque and impressionistic…the pianist has excellent technique.” Downbeat “Hilton is a pure original… she has a magical ability to make her piano tell compelling stories. Certainly on Escapism her facility for make her instrument talk and sing and wear its emotions on its proverbial sleeve is immense and you can hear this almost immediately as the recording begins. There is so much drama in her playing that one finds oneself constantly at the edge of the seat… She seems to be able to make her instrument a living, breathing thing. This is an album to die for.” Jazz da Gama/ Canada “Truly unique compositions, flawlessly played. Hilton & company are relentlessly in search of excellence, while achieving it with a frequency that leaves one in jaw-dropping awe.” Hugh Carson, KVNF Radio

Be sure to look for our music on SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC, YOUTUBE, AMAZON or any other source you use for listening at home/work/car or shop @ iTunes: or most online stores. Whenever you can, share the show info with friends, or a YouTube Video or write a nice review on Amazon or follow on the links below – these small acts are very kind and encouraging. Art, culture, music and live music are all important to our community, our country and our world, and your support is always appreciated!

Where ESCAPISM began….

March 13, 2018 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Escapism, Jazz, Lisa Hilton

jazz, JD Allen, lisa hilton, piano, Rudy Royston

Hello Hello,

I am thrilled at the support this week for our album, ESCAPISM! #8 on the JazzWeek chart (that posted March 8/Women’s Appreciation Day!), and #8 on the ZMR chart too! That is so wonderful! Thank you very much! We are appreciative of this encouraging news. Thank you!

The photo above is of my new studio in the breakfast nook of my new (but vintage) home a short walk from the beach in Malibu, and close by hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains – this is where all the ESCAPISM music was composed and developed from May-August last year. Just before I moved in May, I already had done the little embryos of the tunes, but the actual development of the compositions, and all the coloring, happened in a fairly short time last summer. You can barely make out the iconic shot of Miles Davis on the left in a photo by my friend Ken Franckling, and you can’t quite see another classic shot of Monk at Monterey Jazz fest at the top of the bookshelves, (filled with music books and jazz musician bios). Miles is my muse that represents soul, innovation, and perhaps perseverance. Monk is my muse of hard work (since he’s sweating at the piano), creativity, and someone I consider to be a piano giant. You also can’t quite see photos of me with the classical giants of today: pianists/friends Yuja Wang and Lang Lang. All the books and music books represent the greatest composers in the world from Bach to Bartok to Basie. On the right is a painting by an ex of mine, and 2 black & white photos (nudes) I took in college when I was an art student. It looks a bit messy because it’s a work day and I had just moved in. You can see the ferns and tropical foliage that influenced Hot Summer Samba – originally that tune was going to be a slow blues, but it was a gorgeous summer day, the AC wasn’t working and somehow, the song just moved itself into a hot Latin number! The view that I have in the opposite direction inspired Zero Gravity – just this feeling of summer at it’s best – a floating feeling inspired by palm trees.

Sitting in my new studio, filled with the lightness of summer, I wanted to create music that would lift spirits around the globe – to remember that beauty is still everywhere if only we can remember to look. That by lifting listeners energy maybe we can communicate the strength and goodness that cannot ever be taken from us. This is where the tracks from ESCAPISM were developed. I wanted a way to capture the great energy I was feeling and communicate it to others, so they can feel uplift too and bring that into their lives. It’s just amazing and really cool that so many people have embraced the album. (In fact, I am hoping that ESCAPISM will be the OFFICIAL JAZZ ALBUM of SPRING BREAK this year! Hah!) To me, sitting there at my piano IS Spring Break – it’s ESCAPISM or the ultimate vacay even. I start with a little melody, or perhaps a groove and then add a little bit and a little more, and a few hours later I return from what feels like a visit far, far away – all while sitting with my piano in a breakfast nook! In August I took the music to Avatar studio with my long time friends Gregg August, Rudy Royston and of course JD Allen. I explained each tune and the energy and inspiration and then we recorded – no rehearsal ever – a la Miles Davis. But I’m always a bit nervous – what will they think of these new tunes – my new “babies”? (And I am asking them to play a waltz on Zero Gravity even!) Of course they are professional and won’t comment, but ….?? A recording studio is not the place for indecision or insecurity though, it’s the place for committing to the ideas and creating the leadership to create great music, while hoping for the best. When we where done, what was their favorite piece? Zero Gravity – yep – the waltz!

Thank you for the support and wishing you a great week!

Lisa

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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…..

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!

Jazz everywhere!

It’s been really nice….

Time for some ESCAPISM, right?

Where ESCAPISM began….