Q&A

Q. As someone who now has twenty-seven albums in the U.S. and two in Asia, how does it feel when you finish each new album? Is it just another day for you since you do this every year?

Lisa Hilton: I don't really think about of how many recordings I have unless there's a new one. Creating an album is an enormous amount of work, but I seem to forget that every year until I start listening to tracks and thinking, yikes! But it's a complete passion for me, and so I continue to compose and record every year. When I'm finishing, there is a huge feeling of relief to get back to a simpler life and be able to play the piano without any deadlines. So I feel very happy and extremely relieved when I finish an album! I do have doubter days when I worry: will people like the new music, or I question whether a tune is strong enough, or whether I have highlighted my bandmates well – but I do know those kinds of worries are typical for any musician or producer.

Q. So, it's still a challenge for you?

LH: Definitely! But a challenge drenched in jazz and creativity and magic too – there are always some surprises on every project.

Q. Ok, can you give us an example of what you mean by 'magic'?

LH: Well…  I really wanted to record the 1959 tune Blue In Green from the iconic Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, but it seemed a bit daunting or even crazy to reinterpret such a beautiful and renowned jazz classic. It is deceptively simple, but its unique modal harmonic ideas and the mastery of the players on that album made it intimidating to me. I did check with my bandmates ahead of time to see if they were up for it, and everyone was. I was nervous about what we would create in the studio, but as Luques put it, "Blue In Green was magic.” It is such a soulful piece, and Igmar had a completely different interpretation on each take – his skills really showed on that. I loved Rudy's graceful touch on his drum kit, and Luques was creating a real mood – even adding an arco (bowed) bass near the end. We had to play very intuitively together and it worked, creating a remarkable recording moment that did feel like magic. As musicians we live for those times in the studio, and hope listeners feel those moments too.

Q. Tell us more about your bandmates?

LH: I've done quite a few albums with Rudy, several with Luques, and two with Igmar now, and it's a great quartet. I have so much faith and admiration for them as musicians and improvisers, and they are also super nice people. We really enjoy playing together.

Q. When you were composing did you write to a concept for Coincidental Moment?

LH: I let my creativity lead, and as the compositions formed, a concept began to appear as if the music was telling me what it wanted to communicate. Coincidence is defined by Oxford Languages as: “A remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.”  I've been thinking how everyone shared a mash of emotions and experiences these last three years with the COVID-19 pandemic. I view this period as a Coincidental Moment in time that our world shared, so the album is a collection of emotional points that we have all touched recently – from anxiety to happiness to unique, or enigmatic adventures. It will be interesting to see how this time will change us as a culture. Not many events have had such a significant effect on our planet and humanity, as the last three years have. As a composer, I want to share these moments with listeners.

Q. Interesting! Do you have any favorite tracks when you finish an album?

LH: The compositions all feel very personal - almost like friends to me. In addition, since there are so many hours that you put into any album, I just am not going to work on anything I don't really love, right? That said, I think Anxiety Society and Jagged Lil' Blues are my favorites, as well as Blue In Green. I also want to give a shout-out to West Coast, because I really like what we did as a band on that tune. Although I prefer to compose over arranging music by other artists, I do choose to support the talents of other women who are composers. West Coast was written by Elizabeth Grant, who performs as Lana Del Rey, (co - written with Rick Nowels). I enjoyed delving into her harmonic palette from the 2014 album Ultraviolence. With songs like Summertime Sadness, she seems to me to be a modern version of a blues singer.

Q. It looks like you've got a tour planned for Spring 2024. Can you tell us about that too?

LH: We had a terrific tour in early 2020 - all our shows were very well received, and we had a lot of fun. We are back touring, looking forward to seeing everyone again, and are excited to have Igmar with us.

The Lisa Hilton Quartet On Tour:  Lisa Hilton / Igmar Thomas  / Rudy Royston  / Luques Curtis

3/6/24  Raitt Recital Hall 7:30 pm at Pepperdine University, Malibu CA

3/7/24 SF Jazz 7 & 8:30 pm, San Francisco, CA

3/12/24 The Jazz Standard 6:30 pm, Chicago, IL

3/13/24 Weinberg Center for the Arts / 7:30 pm, Frederick MD

3/14//24 Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall 8 pm, NYC, NY

3/15/24 Jazz Upstairs at Miller Symphony Hall, 7:30 & 9:30 pm, Allentown PA

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