jazz and piano Archives - Lisa Hilton Music

Wonderful Reviews for “Day & Night” CD!

July 1, 2017 by Lisa Hilton

Day & Night, Jazz Times, JazzWeek, piano, piano jazz

composer, jazz, jazz and piano, jazz appreciation month, JazzWeek, piano

REVIEWS FOR DAY & NIGHT

“Closer scrutiny reveals nuanced choices and numerous unforeseen turns. Hilton, brings an emotionalism to the simplest of ideas; layers of depth appear when you least expect them.” Jeff Tamarkin/Jazz times

“Fantastic new CD from Lisa Hilton. We love her version of Begin The Beguine.” Toppy Jazz the #1 Jazz Station in Europe

“Solo piano jazz…Lisa Hilton owns this art brilliantly: soft touch, subtle but very significant swing, a deep connection with the jazz tradition – especially the blues, and of course the beauty of the execution.” Jazz Quad/Russia

“Hilton returns with another CD of solo piano, beautifully played and expressive.” KZSU Radio Stanford University (#1 at the station)

“DAY & NIGHT allows Lisa Hilton to keep the spotlight for herself, and she does not disappoint. She has both the chops and soul to keep you constantly listening.” Straight No Chaser podcast with Jeffrey Siegel

“Rich with elegance and energy, with refined technique, performances & interesting improvisation.”AnimaJxpazz/Italy

“Hilton’s playing is quite lovely.” WTJU Radio

“Beautiful – I’m speechless 5 out of 5 rating.” SURF RADIO/Hossegor, France

“One of my favorite jazz pianists .” FM URIQUIZA/Argentina

“Lovely Album! Some of the nicest music I’ve heard this year.” WUNH Radio

“Hilton’s DAY& NIGHT is her best yet!” 2MAXFM/AUSTRALIA

“Straight and well produced solo piano – well done!” WRTC/Bob Parzych

“I have liked this artist for many years.” CKIA/Quebec City/Canada

“Hilton’s music is sweet and full of life.” REFRESHING JAZZ/Hilo, Hawaii

“This is an impressive album… Hilton paints her masterpieces with deeply felt inspiration. The intensity of Hilton’s playing is unfettered, through wave after wave of inspired improvisation, where the feverish worship at the altar of originality is one extraordinary composition after another. The composers’ universe is at its most expansive in the profoundly beautiful and brooding masterpiece, “Dark Sky Day” which seems to meld surrealism and impressionism in the grand manner”. JazzdaGama/Canada

“I was immediately drawn into her music…it takes my breath away.” WGCH

“Virtuosity aside, Hilton has imbued this succession of songs with so much nuance – so much extension of incredibly phrased riffs – that take the song places that are so unexpected that one is left simply awestruck by beauty”. Hugh Carson/KVNF Radio

“Outstanding. The recording and production of the album is impeccable.” No Solo Jazz/Madrid

“Beautiful sound.” BondiFM NSW/Australia

“Keyboard lust.” MGZC Radio/NC

“Expressive, eloquent compositions and playing.” Will Call/Grey Lock Glass Podcast Network

“Fully in command of her instrument, Hilton’s touch varies from deep, plush velvet to electrifying extended trills, glissandos and runs up and down the piano keyboard.” MainlyPiano.com

For Day & Night “Hilton delves into her own songbook to create more deep brush strokes to her works of art. A strong addition to an already impressive portfolio.” George Harris/JazzWeekly

“Hilton is in player in full command of the nuances of her instrument. Her approach is a welcome expanse of dynamics and tonal variety, enabling her to conjure aural pictures in a richly impressionistic style. Memorably resonant original songs…. and gentle pianistic fireworks.” Hothouse Jazz Guide

“Letting it fly with just jazz piano ace Lisa Hilton front & center, you really get a chance to appreciate what a killer pianist she is. Tasty stuff that’s a great centerpiece to her canon.” Midwest Record

“Pure passion in motion…” Jazz Quarterly: Taste Maker Honors

“Day & Night just might be the tonic this nation needs…everyday treasures that strengthen the bonds of humankind are intrinsic to the music of Lisa Hilton.” AXS/Carol Banks Weber

“Hilton explores music as art and paints texture and color through jazz approaches. Her originals convey many of Cole Porter’s compositional integrity.” Sounds of Timeless Jazz/Paula Edelstein

“Soothing yet complex solo piano music. Hilton likes to spread the wealth of her influences from the simplistic one-note three-times-fast like Count Basie or the meanderings of the complex jazzer Horace Silver.” Classical Lite

“It takes a very talented and confident artist to record a complete album as a soloist. In the spotlight Hilton’s fingers race around the keys, demanding the best from all the notes.” Musical Memoirs Jazz Blog/Dee Dee McNeil

#1 Stanford University KZSU Radio Jazz Chart

SoloPiano.com 2016 Jazz Album of the Year Runner Up

ZMR.com 2017 #6 Radio Chart

WICR #20 Radio Jazz Chart

TOP 22 JAZZWEEK CHART

April 6, 2017 by Lisa Hilton

Day & Night, Jazz, Lisa Hilton, piano, The Chicago Lighthouse, twenty first century jazz

jazz, jazz and piano, piano

It’s definitely Spring Time!

In fourth grade I went on a field trip to collect wildflowers and just fell in love with them! So spring time is wildflower time for me: today I headed 2 hours north of Los Angeles to the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, which I’ve never visited before. What a great spot and a refreshing day. Really fun! You can see more photos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisahiltonmusic/

Thank you to everyone who came out to see the performances in NYC, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Now on to CHICAGO CHICAGO CHICAGO: please try and come out APRIL 11TH/TUESDAY AT 5PM AT BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS at 700 S. Wabash Avenue – tickets here: http://chicagolighthouse.org/event/jazznight/ A FUN NIGHT of jazz to support the wonderful work of The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired. It would be so nice to see a big crowd there – please share this event with all your friends and family in Chicago. This is my 7th Jazz Night for the Lighthouse and the last show of this tour – please note the venue change and early start time, (this was originally planned for Green Mill). HOPE TO SEE (AND HEAR!) ALL MY CHICAGO FRIENDS!!

It was nice to listen to the show that I did for STRAIGHT NO CHASER podcast with Jeffrey Siegel – great name for a jazz podcast don’t you agree? If you have a few minutes have a listen: “DAY & NIGHT allows Lisa Hilton to keep the spotlight for herself, and she does not disappoint. She has both the chops and soul to keep you constantly listening”. http://straightnochaserjazz.libsyn.com/podcast-565-a-conversation-with-lisa-hilton

If you’re a piano lover like I am this is a good website and a nice review for DAY & NIGHT: “Fully in command of her instrument, Hilton’s touch varies from deep, plush velvet to electrifying extended trills, glissandos and runs up and down the piano keyboard.” MainlyPiano.com http://mainlypiano.com/reviews/lisa-hilton-day-and-night

If you haven’t already, please check out my two albums from 2016: NOCTURNAL as well as DAY & NIGHT – links below.

Take care and enjoy the spring time!
Lisa

https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Hilton/e/B000AR9EFK
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lisa-hilton/id4614541
https://twitter.com/lisahiltonmusic
https://www.facebook.com/LisaHiltonMusic

Hope you might be able to come to one of these….

January 17, 2017 by Lisa Hilton

Carnegie Hall, Category 1, Day & Night, Jazz, Lisa Hilton, piano

Carnegie Hall, composer, jazz and piano, lisa hilton, piano, SFJazz

Hi there!

Carnegie Hall was SO much fun. The piano was in excellent shape, the acoustics in Mrs. Carnegie’s former “salon” are perfect, and there was a really warm and enthusiastic audience to the new music from DAY & NIGHT. So many people braved the chilly 20 degrees to come out – many of them friends – and we had a really great time. There are a few more performance dates – if you missed the Carnegie show, (or just feel like coming again!), here are the dates and links and descriptions:

FEBRUARY 9/THURSDAY / JUNIOR BLIND OF AMERICA 4PM LOS ANGELES/CA / 5300 Angeles Visa Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-4555 / www.JuniorBlind.org Please come for a tour before or after the show if you are interested in learning more about this great organization. Ask to speak with Laura Hardy if you are interested in coming to this show for special needs students.

FEBRUARY 18/SATURDAY / THE EDYE SECOND SPACE AT THE BROAD THEATER 7 PM / 1310 11th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 434-3200 http://www.thebroadstage.com/en/Performances/visiting_events/Productions/lisahilton/ There are so many great restaurants to go to before this show: Huckleberry, Milo and Olive, Wilshire, Santa Monica Seafood and Rustic Canyon are all very close by. This is an intimate theater in a convenient location, with good parking.

MARCH 10/FRIDAY / SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ /Joe Henderson Lab 8pm / 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 https://www.sfjazz.org/events/lisa-hilton-solo-piano-day-night This show is in the very cool Hayes Valley neighborhood known for its trendy cafes and wine bars all within walking distance of this new and contemporary venue. Better to get your show tix now – we almost sold out last year. This is a great venue to bring friends to – there is a bar in the venue as well.

APRIL 8/SATURDAY/ BERKLEE COLLEGE /DAVID FRIEND RECITAL HALL 8pm / 921 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02115 (617) 747-2261 https://www.berklee.edu/events/lisa-hilton It’s always fun to listen to music in walkable Boston. I haven’t played there in a few years, so please come out for this one!

APRIL 11/TUESDAY THE GREEN MILL 5:30-8PM/ 4802 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 878-5552 To benefit The Chicago Lighthouse These tickets will be posted in March. The Green Mill is the oldest continuously run jazz club in the US and has the cool historic vibe – always a fun time there!

The new music debuted at on the JazzWeek Radio chart the very first week at #39 – thank you for your support!

A nice new review is up at JazzWeekly: “Hilton creates deep brush strokes to her works of art….” http://www.jazzweekly.com/2017/01/everything-right-where-you-need-itlisa-hilton-solo-piano-day-night/

If you haven’t picked up a copy try here: AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M4GOGKQ or here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/day-night/id1168095658

Enjoy your day and hope to see you soon!

Lisa

Happy Summer!

June 7, 2016 by Lisa Hilton

Composing Season

composer, jazz and piano, NOCTURNAL

Hi and Happy Summer!

I think we’re all hoping that summer will bring great weather, cool experiences and hot romance – well maybe two out of the three? I haven’t talked much lately because I’ve been busy updating my website – that’s right, LisaHiltonMusic.com is now mobile friendly and MUCH easier to use. It’s easy to find sheet music, (even FREE sheet music) as well as CD’s, and digital downloads, (at the cheapest prices too!). For listening there are more options besides radio, so there are also lots of easy links to playlists, as well as listening to our music on streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, and of course over 100 YouTube Videos now too, all on one site. Ok, and if you like pictures, there’s a few more of those too, as well as easy links to social networks. I remember my very first website was in 2001- just a homepage then I think, and we didn’t have “mobile friendly” then, so my website has really come a long way. All in all, it’s much easier to find information as well as music. I hope you like it!

Thank you again to everyone who has supported our current release, “NOCTURNAL” including fans, radio everywhere, reviewers, audience members for the tour and those of you who bought the music. As an independent label this support is ESPECIALLY appreciated.

So what’s next? I now start what I call my Composing Season. (After that comes Album Producing, then Promotion then Tour Seasons.) This is my FAVORITE thing that I do, (“the world knows I love to compose” is my motto!), so I like to do it in the summer with the longer days and generally upbeat moods. So what will it be this year? I never know what compositions will come out, but I do remember composing the “Midnight Sonata” and just having SO much fun last June! What will it be this year? I hope it will be just as exciting of course! My studio and mind are all clean and clear for whatever will come.

Wishing you a great June,

Lisa

Reviews for NOCTURNAL

April 6, 2016 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Lisa Hilton, piano, piano jazz

jazz, jazz and piano, lisa hilton

NOCTURNAL REVIEWS:

Lisa Hilton/piano, Terell Stafford/trumpet, JD Allen/sax, Gregg August/bass, Antonio Sanchez/drums

“No one plays, writes of puts together a band better than Hilton. Another in a growing list of deep excellent works from Hilton.” Russ Davis/Voice of America/Jazz America with 134,000,000 listeners

Hilton has, “Melodic gifts and song-form clarity as both a composer and player. Beauty of all sorts is abundant here.” Jeff Simon/Buffalo News

“The album allows Hilton to demonstrate her mastery of the keyboard. While her compositions are frequently built around melodies of a Horace Silver-esque hookiness, there’s a lot of romanticism and classical technique in her solos. Her music offers a unique blend of concepts, of past and future, that’s quite beautiful.” Phil Freeman/Burning Ambulance

“Lisa Hilton is one of the finest musical impressionists…she explores a stunning amount of original material on NOCTURNAL.” Ken Franckling/Jazz Notes March 9, 2016

“A spirited ride through the urban nightlife with a montage of colors, sounds and images. Hilton plays the piano exquisitely, & seduces the listener with beauty & elegance.” Riveting Riffs/Canada

“Traditional modern jazz is represented by a contemporary style, and newly recorded by the long-awaited quintet of Lisa Hilton…mainly original songs with a fresh melodic beauty”. HMV.com

“NOCTURNAL is simply phenomenal. The composing and playing on this album is a tour de force. Hilton and her band have executed it flawlessly – truly an amazing group producing truly amazing music.. This is the best album I’ve heard in a decade, maybe in two decades. Deserving of record of the year on anyone’s list.” KVNF Radio Colorado

“One of the most promising jazz composers today…” Estilopunta/ Punta del Este/Uruguay

“A collection of hard-hitting originals… her strongest outing yet.” George Harris/JazzWeekly

“Lisa Hilton has done a remarkable job.” The New York Jazz City Record

“Lisa Hilton just gets better.” WTJU Radio Virginia

“Highly anticipated….” New York Cool

“What a wonderful album.” Exploring Jazz/WUNH New Hampshire

“There is a lot of dynamic piano playing coming from Lisa on her 18th album. Nocturnal is a musical expression of countless emotions…. Hilton’s band features Terell Stafford (t), Antonio Sanchez (d) and returning from Horizons, bassist Gregg August with J.D. Allen on tenor sax. This is a formidable team that doesn’t disappoint!” O’s Place Jazz

“A highly prolific post-bop pianist and her combo dexterously handle the music.” Milwaukee Journal

NOCTURNAL…”Speaks subtly of Satie and sublimely of Ellington…. Hilton has put together the right band and chosen the right repertoire.” About.com

“Always a fine experience to listen to a new cd of Lisa Hilton. Each song, even after many listening turns, stays fresh, and you will hear always something new that you haven’t noticed before. Not possible without her fellow musicians, like Gregg August on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums, J.D. Allen, sax and Terell Stafoord, trumpet/flugelhorn. I like “Whirlwind”, and I believe it fits also for Lisa. A great album!” Jan Nederveen/Radio 794/Netherlands

“Remarkable emotional depth and clarity from all band members…” World Jazz News

“Hilton’s compositions and melodies bear repeat listening sessions.” Audiophile Audition

“Distinctive originals that are influenced by a wide swath of music.” Dan Ouellette/Zeal!nyc

“Beautiful project! Lisa Hilton delivers once again with another impressive delight!” Style Quarterly

“Wow! It’s just great – the best yet!” 2MAXFM Australia

“Hilton displays a personal touch and approach in both composition & delivery.” JazzWeekly

“Excellent skill in the use of the piano, well constructed compositions, unique musical atmospheres, brilliant improvisation and outstanding melodies: these would be the qualities of the Californian composer and pianist Lisa Hilton. The entire disk provides, as is common in the music of Hilton, countless moments of emotion with the roles of accompanying musicians many times reaching virtuosity. Once again, a success.” No Solo Jazz Barcelona, Spain

“Poetic original compositions.”AnimaJazz/Pisa, Italy

“What a beautiful set- my kind of jazz! A superb effort!” 2RRR FM Sydney, Australia

“Lisa Hilton collaborated with prestigious musicians, among them drummer Antonio Sanchez. Original songs and jazz classics, relaxed atmosphere and fiery rhythms; this and much more.” Soulful Corner/Italy

Thank you, thank you….

March 9, 2016 by Lisa Hilton

Blog

jazz, jazz and piano, lisa hilton, SFJazz

Hello!

I wanted to thank EVERYONE: family/friends/neighbors/fans/Pepperdine staff/students and ULTRA fans who flew in from out of town, to the performance Friday night at Pepperdine University/Smothers Theatre. It was a lot of fun for me to be back in Malibu with my “home court advantage” – Pepperdine was one of the first major theatres I played 16 years ago. I loved hearing remarks afterwards – this was my favorite: “I felt like I just had a brain massage!” That puts a smile on my face! I heartily applaud everyone who came and supported live music/arts – always a cool thing to do. You can read about the performance here at Jazz Weekly( George took the photo above too: http://www.jazzweekly.com/2016/03/lisa-hiltonpepperdine-03-04-15/

We have a brand new, Official Video for NOCTURNAL. Please let me know if you like it. It’s very impressionistic, and was done by a talented college student at CSUN. I like to see our music used in different ways – my favorite parts are that drum solo intro and the soft colored shapes – I’m curious if you like it too: Official NOCTURNAL video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISCTrwYaPVQ

I’ll be back in school tomorrow for my seventh performance at Junior Blind of America in Los Angeles – always one of my favorite stops-for a 4pm show for special needs students. https://juniorblind.org/web/index.php/news-events/events/lisa-hilton-concert

I’d really LOVE to get everyone I can to my show this Saturday in Portland – please pass this info along to anyone you know in the area, ok? March 12, 2016 Saturday 3:30PM Classic Pianos Portland 3003 SE Milwaukie Ave (503) 546-6522 http://portland.classicpianos.net/events http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2495400

If you’ve never been to SFJazz it’s time you go! Last year I really enjoyed performing there – the venue is really beautiful with lots of windows onto the street that reflect the performance in interesting ways. The Hayes Valley neighborhood is a cool place to grab a bite before or a drink after – please come by or recommend this to your friends. March 24th/Thursday 8pm SFJazz 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco (826)920-5299. http://ticketing.sfjazz.org/single/selectSeating.aspx?p=8833&tnewq=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&tnewp=93b99779-9494-4cfc-8944 3091cb9f5231&tnewts=1456769189&tnewc=sfjazz&tnewe=march1onsale&tnewrt=Idle&tnewh=7049e5adb1ecfe56f6a0c723c5f49a60

I’m playing at an intimate spot in NYC coming up – I hear it’s a great place to hear live music in the east village. If you buy tix ahead they are cheaper than at the door: April 10th/Sunday 8:30pm Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3. 185 Orchard Street/NYC (212) 477-4155 http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com/
An interesting interview is up here: “Pianist Lisa Hilton is one of the most relentlessly productive artists in jazz, but the critical class… ” Burning Ambulance: http://burningambulance.com/2016/03/01/interview-lisa-hilton/
Thank you to radio everywhere too – still doing terrific on the radio charts for NOCTURNAL. We all really appreciate the support for independent artists. Easy to buy NOCTURNAL here: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nocturnal-Lisa-Hilton/dp/B017Y6AQRE or iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nocturnal/id1058965612 CD, sheet music or downloads here too of course: www.lisahiltonmusic.com or just listen on Spotify, Apple Music or SoundCloud.

Thank you for your support and wishing you a great week and soon to be SPRINGTIME!

Lisa

Los Angeles Event for Special Needs Students 3/10

February 10, 2016 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Lisa Hilton

composer, jazz and piano, lisa hilton, piano jazz

THANK YOU TO RADIO EVERYWHERE!

February 9, 2016 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Jazz, Lisa Hilton, piano jazz

#AntonioSanchez, Carnegie Hall, composer, Gregg August, Ingrid Jensen, jazz, jazz and piano, JazzWeek, JD Allen, Junior Blind of America, lisa hilton, Pepperdine University, piano, Rockwood Music Hall, Rudy Royston, SFJazz, Terell Stafford

Hi There!
Did you enjoy the SuperBowl? I think it’s always more fun to have a closer game – like last year, but the weather in California was spectacular for a February day and I liked GaGa’s arrangement of our anthem too.
Here’s a photo from NYC last month with JD Allen on tenor sax, Ben Williams on bass, Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and Rudy Royston on drums at Carnegie Hall. We had a great time! We had the same band last year but we were lucky to have Ben Williams join us – he’s just terrific and so nice too. Love those acoustics and my big Steinway at Carnegie!

Well Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU radio stations EVERYWHERE for playing NOCTURNAL. Just 2 weeks after our Jan. 22nd release date, we are #20 on the JazzWeek radio chart and being played around the world. We have deep appreciation for this. There is a lot of music out there – mostly from larger labels, so it is a great vote of support to Antonio Sanchez, JD Allen, Gregg August, Terell Stafford and myself that the music is connecting so well. As artists, a lot of our creative work is done in relative isolation and then 6-12 months later you find out if anyone likes what you do, (no instant gratification!), so this has been great news. Stations that we know are playing NOCTURNAL our first couple weeks are listed here (did I miss anyone?) – as well as my Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaHiltonMusic. I just got this not from Russ Davis at MOJA RADIO/VOICE OF AMERICA: “You can add the 134 million people who hear JAZZ AMERICA on Voice of America as Nocturnal will be featured with our interview this coming Valentine’s Day weekend!” www.mojaradio.com – WOW! You can also listen here too:

WAER/NY, WBGU/OH, WBLU/WBLV/MI, WCLK/GA, WDNA/FL, WECI/IN, WERU/ME, WFCR/MA, WFMT/CA, WFDU/Jazz& What’s more/NJ, WGMC/NY, WGVU/MI, WHRV/VA, IL, WJSU/MS, WLRN/FL, WNCU/NC, WNMU/MI, WPFW/DC, WPPB/NJ, WQSU/PA, WRIR/VA, WRTI/PA, WSHA/NC, WSNC/WSSU/NC, WTJU/VA, WUEV/IN, WUMR/TN, WWOZ/LA, WWSP/WI, WWUH/CT, WXPN/PA, WYCE/MI, KANU/KANH/KANV/KS, KBEM/MN, KCBX/CA, KCCK/IA, KCSB/CA, KCSM/CA, KEWU/WA, KIOS/NE, KKRN/KWMR/CA, KKUP/CA, KMBH/KMHD/TX, KNTU/TX, KRFC/CO, KSDS/CA, KSJS/KSJD/CA, KTEP/online, KTSU/TX, KUSD/SD, KUVO/KVJX/CO, KUTX/TX, KVNF/KUMT/CO, KXPR/KYJZ/CA, KYGT/CO, 2MaxFm/Australia, ClassicFm/Abu Dhabi, All Jazz Radio/South Africa, AnimaJazz/Italy, Apple Music, Echoes/syndicated, Hawaii Public Radio/HI, Jazz After Hours/syndicated, Jazz from Gallery 41/CA,JazzHappeningNow/syndicated, IO Radio/UK, M3Radio/NY, MOJARadio/syndicated, No Solo Jazz/Spain, Otras Musicas/Spain, Peaceful Radio/Netherlands, Radio Despi/Spain, Radio Jazz/Uruguay, PRX Jazz/syndicated, Radio Swiss Jazz/Switzerland, Radio Valencia/CA, RadioVideoJazz/online, Rhapsody, RTVA/Spain, Soul&Jazz/UK, Spotify, Taint Radio/syndicated, Toppy Jazz/Netherlands, Radio Rick/Netherlands, BO FM/Canada, RLI/Madagascar, JazzCoRadio/Australia, Radio 794/Netherlands, Spectrum Jazz/online, CIWS/Canada, 2RRfm/Australia, Solar Radio/UK, Pacific Jazz, Canoefm/Canada, CFRO/Canada, CUIT/Canada, BBC Radio Stoke/UK, Scotland69fm/UK, 2NVR Australia, O’s Place Jazz, Output Radio/Netherlands, Style Quarterly Radio/online, West Gippsland Community Radio/Australia, …. Thank you all!

-MARCH 4th/Friday/Smothers Hall Pepperdine University/Malibu, CA 8pm 4255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu/   https://pepperdinearts.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=132
-MARCH 10th/Thursday /Junior Blind of America, Los Angeles 4pm Performance for special needs students: 5300 Angeles Vista Blvd. L.A. www.JuniorBlind.org
-MARCH 12th/Saturday/Classic Pianos Portland, 3:30pm www.PortlandClassicPianos.net/events       http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2495400
-MARCH 24th/Thursday/ SFJazz: https://www.sfjazz.org/events-calendar
-APRIL 10th/Sunday/Rockwood Music Hall/NYC 8:30pm: http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com/   https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1090601
Hope you can come out to one of the performances for NOCTURNAL – see ya there!

Lisa

January 22, 2016 by Lisa Hilton

Blog, Lisa Hilton

Antonio Sanchez, Carnegie Hall, composer, Duke Ellington, jazz, jazz and piano, JD Allen, lisa hilton, New Release, NOCTURNAL, piano, piano jazz, reviews, Terell Stafford

Happy January 22nd – our Official Release Day!

We are very excited today! For us the release of NOCTURNAL represents months of creative passion, HOURS of rapt attention to detail, and two days of recording bliss. Truly the best band ever: Antonio Sanchez on drums (well known for his Birdman score), once again the deep Detroit tenor sax sound of JD Allen and the Julliard trained Gregg August on bass, and the addition of the virtuosic Terell Stafford on trumpet, as well as my piano too. After seventeen albums of compositions, I decided on my eighteenth to dig for more emotional depth and length on some tunes too, and I ended up enjoying the composing time more than ever. We’re proud of how it came out and we hope the world enjoys it. We’ve gotten a few early reviews:
-“SIMPLY PHENOMENAL.” KVNF Radio
–“Traditional modern jazz is represented by a contemporary style, and newly recorded by the long-awaited quintet of Lisa Hilton. Antonio Sanchez on drums, in front of JD Allen tenor, along with the wonderful trumpet of Terrell Stafford, and Gregg August on bass – mainly original songs with a fresh melodic beauty – her piano it’s great”. HMV.com
– “A collection of hard-hitting originals… her strongest outing yet.” George Harris/JazzWeekly
– “No one plays, writes or puts together a band better than this great, talented lady! NOCTURNAL is another in a growing list of deep excellent works from Hilton.” Russ Davis/Voice of America
– “Lisa Hilton has done a remarkable job.” The New York Jazz City Record
-“Highly anticipated….” New York Cool
– “What a wonderful album.” Exploring Jazz/WUNH
–“Speaks subtly of Satie and sublimely of Ellington…. Hilton has put together the right band and chosen the right repertoire to demonstrate her treasure trove of musical influences….” About.com
-“Remarkable emotional depth and clarity from all band members…” World Jazz News
-“Hilton’s compositions and melodies bear repeat listening sessions. I found myself returning to this CD several times…” Audiophile Audition
– “Composer/pianist/bandleader Lisa Hilton composes distinctive originals that are influenced by a wide swath of music.” Dan Ouellette/Zeal!nyc
Here are a couple spots where you can check out the album: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nocturnal-Lisa-Hilton/dp/B017Y6AQRE iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nocturnal/id1058965612 or www.lisahiltonmusic.com or you can listen to a few tracks here: https://soundcloud.com/lisahiltonmusic

We had a wonderful time last week debuting the new music at Carnegie Hall – see photo/video here:https://www.facebook.com/LisaHiltonMusic . We’ll be at Pepperdine, in Malibu, CA, March 4th/Friday, Junior Blind of America March 10th, Classic Pianos/Portland March 12th and SF Jazz March 24th. We will add some more dates too. See more info here: https://lisahiltonmusic.com/tour-3/

Enjoy your weekend, and please let us know what you think of the new music if you get a chance.

Lisa

Behind the scenes at Avatar Studios….

October 25, 2015 by Lisa Hilton

Antonio Sanchez, Blog, Carnegie Hall, J.D. Allen, Jazz, Lisa Hilton, piano jazz, Terell Stafford

Carnegie Hall, jazz, jazz and piano, lisa hilton, piano

Hi There,

I’m happily finishing up our latest album, NOCTURNAL – my eighteenth. It will be out January 29^th, 2016 and features myself on piano of course, Antonio Sanchez on drums, Gregg August on bass and J.D. Allen on tenor sax again and a new trumpeter for us – Terell Stafford. WHAT A BAND! Many people know about Antonio’s drum score for the film Birdman. He really is incredibly talented and was a pleasure to work with. Everyone knows that I love J.D. Allen’s deep Detroit sound and feel he’s the tenor sax for our times. JD introduced me a few years ago to his multi-talented bassist Gregg August who is the concert master for the Brooklyn Symphony, tours with Latin bands and also jazz groups – he’s got a masters degree from Julliard too. My trumpeter from last year was on tour, so I brought in Terell – one of the top trumpeters around and truly a nice guy. I was so happy with the results and can hardly wait to share the new CD! (photo above: J.D. Allen/Terell Stafford, Lisa Hilton/Gregg August/Antonio Sanchez at Avatar Studios by George Brooks).

We will be debuting the new music at Carnegie Hall January 17^th at a 2pm show – PLEASE come by if you can. You cannot imagine what it is like to compose – alone at the piano for months and then finally having the music come alive with the band in performance. And Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall has perfect acoustics along with one of the greatest Steinway’s you can imagine. Tickets just went on sale here – the CDs will also be available that day: http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2016/1/17/0200/PM/Lisa-Hilton-and-Friends/

If you’re a GRAMMY voter please look for our CD HORIZONS under jazz and you’ll also find my name in the Arranging and Composing on the preliminary ballot. Please wish us luck – it would be nice to be nominated of course, but it’s also a step forward to women – ever represented in the categories mentioned.

There will be more upcoming shows too, so stay posted:

MARCH 10th/Thursday /Junior Blind of America, Los Angeles 4pm Performance for special needs students: 5300 Angeles Vista Blvd. L.A. www.JuniorBlind.org SOLO PIANO

MARCH 24th/Thursday/ SFJazz 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (826)920.5299 SFJazz.org 8:pm SOLO PIANO

APRIL 13/Thursday/Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired1850 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608 (312) 666-1331http://chicagolighthouse.org/ SOLO PIANO

Wishing you a great week!

Lisa

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