Pianist | Composer | Producer
PARADISE COVE
LISA KRISTINE HILTON / PIANO, IGMAR THOMAS
TRUMPET, LUQUES CURTIS / BASS, OBED CALVAIRE / DRUMS
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“I think we all need jazz in our lives these days,” composer, pianist, bandleader and producer Lisa K. Hilton writes in the liner notes for her upcoming December 2 release, Paradise Cove (Ruby Slipper Productions 1028). “From its inception ragtime, jazz and blues were created to boost moods or morale by America’s earliest composers, such as Scott Joplin, Ferdinand “Jelly Rolly” Morton or Nick La Rocca in the early 1900’s. Our world today desires and deserves a lift after the last couple years, and with the music of Paradise Cove we aim to boost spirits everywhere.” Hilton’s twenty sixth recording debuts her dynamic new L.I.L.O quartet with Hilton on piano, trumpeter Igmar Thomas, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Obed Calvaire. (L.I.L.O. for their first initials). Hilton has performed with the in-demand bassist Luques Curtis regularly for several years, but the charismatic trumpeter Igmar Thomas, Curtis’s former room - mate at Berklee College of Music, is a compelling addition, complimenting Hilton’s fluid style and bluesy riffs. Drummer Obed Calvaire, who regularly works with SF Jazz Collective as well as Wynton Marsalis, contributes considerable creativity to this cohesive band. After recording at The Village Studios in Santa Monica, California Hilton declared, “The L.I.L.O quartet is my favorite band ever…I bet anyone listening will hear the enjoyment we had!” Hilton chose the title Paradise Cove as a reference to our cultural need to find a ‘cove’ or protected spot in our personal lives on a daily basis to escape, revitalize, or reboot and to create a ‘paradise’ or state of grace amid today’s fast moving times.
The nine original tracks and two cover tunes range from the expressive melodicism of “Another Simple Sunday With You”, and the title track “Paradise Cove”, to the wildly upbeat blowing on Dizzy Gillespie’s 1957 jazz classic “Birks’ Works,” Hilton’s own “Blues Vagabond” as well as her “Fast Time Blues.” These tracks exhibit plenty of the quartets improvisational fireworks along with some retro vibes. On a quieter note, the wistful cover of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David 1965 tune “What The World Needs Now is Love” and the moving “Storybook Sequel” showcase a band in touch with a range of emotions and performance styles. Hilton also includes a Latin tinge with the exuberant “Cha Cha Cha À La Carte” as well as the trio tune “Mercurial Moments,” which highlights excellent soloing by bassist Curtis and exciting drumming by Calvaire. “Mediterranean Dreams” is a more classical piece for the trio while “Night Cap and a Little Chaos” has an enticing noir energy that rounds out these vibrant and well recorded tracks.
Track List
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BIRKS’ WORKS
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FAST TIME BLUES
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BLUES VAGABOND
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ANOTHER SIMPLE SUNDAY WITH YOU
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CHA CHA CHA A´ LA CARTE
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MERCURIAL MOMENTS
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NIGHT CAP & A LITTLE CHAOS
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STORYBOOK SEQUEL
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MEDITERRANEAN DREAMS
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WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE
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PARADISE COVE
Q&A
Q: You’ve done three jazz trio albums since 2020: More Than Another Day, Transparent Sky and Life Is Beautiful. Tell us about your new L.I.L.O. Quartet and what inspired the format change in your band on your new album PARADISE COVE?
LH: The last two years were difficult and anxious times as we all adjusted to a worldwide pandemic. Although I continued to compose and record, it was challenging just to find a studio as many were still closed. I wasn’t ready to try anything new, so I focused on our trio work, but by 2022 I felt ready to try new things again. I realized that I hadn’t worked in a quartet with trumpet – only with tenor sax – and I got excited about featuring the trumpet more. Our L.I.L.O. Quartet is the first letter of Lisa, Igmar, Luques and Obed, and it’s my favorite band ever!
Q: Wow - that’s good to hear after the stress of the last two years! Where did you record?
LH: In the past, I recorded several albums at Capitol Studios in Hollywood with my engineer Al Schmitt, but Capitol is now closed and my dear engineer has passed away. Since 2020 I have been working at The Village Studios in Santa Monica, California. The staff is friendly, the sound is terrific and I have a wonderful new engineering team too. Times have changed, but I’m thankful that I have been able to continue putting together strong creative teams of musicians, engineers and artists despite the challenges we faced. Each album is extremely collaborative, and I’m lucky to work with so many very talented people every year.
Q: Tell us a bit about your L.I.L.O. Quartet bandmates.
LH: I first played with Luques Curtis in 2018 at the Smithsonian in DC. He’s a great bassist, and he’s also grown a lot since we began working together. I LOVE his soloing on this album! His room - mate at Berklee College of Music was Igmar Thomas, so when I mentioned bringing in a new trumpeter, Igmar was a natural choice. There’s an Americana energy at times to his trumpet improvisations that fits well with my piano, so it was a real treat recording with him. I had been thinking about working with Obed Calvaire for about three years, so I’m glad he was able to join us for this session. Obed is a very creative drummer, and I think he sounds amazing on Paradise Cove. Recording an album is always a lot of work, but we had great energy in the studio, and that resulted in some explosive playing – I bet you can actually ‘hear’ the enjoyment we had!
Q: I noticed you’ve chosen two interesting cover tunes for this album – Dizzy Gillespie’s Birk’s Works, and then the popular Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune What The World Needs Now Is Love. How did those choices come about?
LH: I’m pretty interested in mid-century music where jazz, folk, and the beginnings of rock and roll commingled with a bit with pop. The classic jazz tune “Birks’ Works” was written in 1957. It’s a favorite piece that also allowed our band to light some improvisational fireworks! As for the Bacharach…I’m always reading about musicians, and my sister recently gave me a book that delved into his life and work. Reading that Bacharach sprinkled jazz ideas and harmonies in his pop compositions, led me to try playing some of his tunes. I read that originally Bacharach and his lyricist, Hal David, didn’t feel “What The World Needs Now Is Love” was very strong, but since they recorded it in 1965 it’s been a song for the ages. I asked Igmar to use muted trumpet and I played the piano in a lower octave in this arrangement to communicate it’s timeless petition for peace. These two very different cover songs were both created by mid - century American compositional masters, and they seem to me to bookend that fertile musical era that also gave us in 1959 Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, Time Out by Dave Brubeck and other jazz classics.
Q: What made you choose the title Paradise Cove for the album- did you compose to that as a concept?
LH: I always let the music lead me – I never try and make my composing fit a specific idea or concept like you would a school assignment. Creativity comes from within, but you need to nurture it to see what it will form and where you will be led. While recording, I was struck by how exuberant, high spirited and lively some of the music sounded, while the quieter pieces have an essence that feels healing. The music of Paradise Cove feels like a refuge in our complex world. A ‘cove’ is a safe or secluded spot and ‘paradise’ is a state of grace or beauty. We hope people everywhere will feel good when they listen to our music – if they do, that would be the greatest gift an artist or musician can give.
Q: It does seem that it we have a lot of new challenges in our world right now….
LH: Artists need to be in tune with what is happening globally and respond to that authentically, but we all need a break from the news too, right? We need to escape, revitalize, reboot and grow. It’s important to find, or create, beauty around us – to nurture a little part of our day with that puts a smile on our face. Our music is inspired by different genres, eras, and cultures: it’s jazz that is warm and familiar, but it’s also new and uplifting – and it’s got some awesome playing on it by my bandmates! We hope you love it!
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P A R A D I S E C O V E is out December 2, 2022 and available Pre-Sale November 2 on Amazon.com or Apple Music
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PRESS
#1 Amazon New Release/Jazz (two months before release date)
#1 Most Added Jazz Week – first week of January 2023
#9 JazzWeek.com Radio Chart
10 Albums You Need To Know: December 2022 /Jazziz Magazine
#11 Amazon of all Cool Jazz Albums December 2022
​#14 ZMR Radio/Streaming Chart
Featured New Release/Jazz on Apple Music
Best Jazz Albums of 2022: Honorable Mention NYC Jazz Record
“A unique and brilliant sound by one of the best jazz pianists and composers around.” KVNF Radio
“Lisa Hilton's gorgeous new recording, Paradise Cove… It is an enduring work, as the lucid and uncomplicated motifs of "Another Simple Sunday With You" and the majestic uplift of "Storybook Sequel" (a tune that should become a chestnut) instantly reveal. Reminiscent of many reflective moments intuited by such influences as Dave Brubeck, Brad Mehldau, and Bill Evans, these two tracks alone make the album a sure fire favorite. The bright, whispery restraint exhibited on both tracks by drummer Obed Calvaire & Thomas clear, yearning lines are standout performances." All About Jazz
“The West Coast pianist and quartet produce a cool, melodic set rich in strong originals…all attractive and memorable lines…the rhythmic support throughout is flawless.” Jazz Journal/UK
“This album kicks up the butanes…” Jazz Weekly/George Harris
“An album of empathic give-and-take that makes for an intoxicating combination.” All Music Guide
“Harmonic depth… highly melodic… bluesy…shimmering… stunning…danceable… lush…consistently strong…” Making A Scene/Jim Hynes
“Hilton channels the everyday beauty she sees around her into her music…jazz played with style, soul, spirit and sophistication…” Modern Jazz Today
“Outrageously good piano skills….refreshing…” Bee Hive Candy
“It’s friendly jazz, the kind that reaches the senses directly…an album to be simply enjoyed.” Distrito Jazz (Jazz Zone) /Brazil
“Sophisticated and bewitching Lisa Hilton (piano). An expressive jazz pianist whose influences range from post-bop to folk, blue tones and meticulously curated sounds”. Wind Out Magazine/Italy
“Elegantly-crafted and warmly-conveyed new album…” Exclusive Magazine
"Californian pianist Lisa Hilton has continued to make great jazz…” JOTA/Brazil
"As always, just superb.” Just Jazz syndicated radio show/New Zealand
“Love the album!” Pacific Jazz/HI
“Another excellent album from Lisa.” Aural Delights Podcast/Greece
Thumbs up emoji -Burning Ambulance Music Journal
“Sounds good…” CKIA Radio/Canada
“Magic!” Totally Wired Radio/UK
“Very pleasing and refined.” Radio Incontro/Italy
“It's always delightful to listen to Lisa Hilton's piano.” Radio Arc-en-Ciel 103.4 FM/France
“Lisa Hilton is so wonderful! I love all her recordings!” IDC Radio 106.2 FM/Tel Aviv, Israel
“Really excellent music.” ECMA Radio/Austria
“......very enjoyable.” CJSW 90.9 FM/Canada
“Frankly, we enjoyed the entire session!” O’s Place Jazz Magazine
“I Love the smooth style of Miss Lisa Hilton's fine music. Jazz, Classical. bossa nova, all is possible in the sweet hands of Lisa. Highly Recommend!!!!!” FM Urquiza 91.7MHZ - Argentina
“Nice jazz.” CKSJ Coast 101.1FM/NL
“Beautifully-rendered…effortlessly cool, Hilton skims and skips … leaving the listener with nothing but good, happy vibes…” Carol Banks Weber/Coggie Ink
“Beautiful tracks.” CJSR Radio/Canada
"Another beautiful project from Lisa Hilton!” WNTI/NJ
“Hilton just keeps on excelling with the presentation of the music - a pleasure to listen to and to present to our listeners…it’s always exciting to hear what may come up next.” 2MAXFM Australia
“We always try & support indie artists. Very excited to share this with listeners.” A.S.S.K. Radio/UT
“Brava Lisa!” Radio Flash 97.6 FM Italy / Musica Jazz
“Lisa Hilton is an engaging artist.” CHUO 89.1 FM/Canada
"This disc confirms Lisa Hilton's piano delicacy, who with her sensitivity always manages to convince and involve listeners who love her soft flights.” Anima Jazz /Italy
“I like it allot!” Rick 106.3 FM/Netherlands
“Dependably entertaining.” WORT/WI
“SO COOL!” Radio MUZKOM - Moscow, Russia
“Another excellent recording from Lisa Hilton!!!” Swiss Groove Radio/Switzerland
“I always enjoy Lisa Hilton’s projects.” Uptown Jazz Network
“Another gem filled album from the exquisite Ms. Hilton.” Radio Regent/Canada
“Great release!” The Abyss Radio Show, Radio Cardiff/UK
“Based on previous recordings by Lisa Hilton I have become a fan.” Jazz Radio DC
“Very Nice!” FMR Radio/France
“Musically rich…Love it!” CV FM/UK
“Nice album!” Time Out Magazine and Radio Tilos / Budapest, Hungary
“Well played.” 3MBR FM Australia
“Lisa Hilton never fails to entertain us with her exceptional musicianship and flawless recordings.” Jazz Central Sine FM Radio/UK
“Nice selection…I do like how the trumpet fits in here.” WFSU/FL
“Lovely.” CIUT Radio/Canada
“J J” Sound Fusion Radio
“Excellent!” Radio Works - SDC Media Network
“Cool!!” Armada Music/Netherlands
“Fresh and cool jazz, Lisa Hilton has done it again!” Cool Jazz Radio/Spain
“The playful piano really enhances this jazz album.” Outsight Radio Hours
“Great…” C Jazz Channel
“Got me listening!!” BBS Radio
“Good vibes.” Urban Jazz Radio/UK
“Great!” Freies Radio/Germany
“Excelente” Locos Por El Jazz Radio/Dominican Republic
“Pianist/composer Lisa Hilton made the comment that after the last couple of years the world needs and desires a lift. The nine tracks of Paradise Cove have gone a long way to achieving that, The usual bluesy riffs are abundant in this album and Igmar Thomas' trumpet style give a new dimension to the pieces”. Connect FM 100.9/Australia
“GREAT PIANO!” KDSU Radio/ND
“Dynamic!” KUNV Radio/NV
“Hilton’s bluesy notes create an intimate atmosphere.” Jazz Info France