This year began with a wee-small-hours idea – hike to the westernmost promontory in Malibu –known as Pt. Dume - to experience the sunrise on January 1st. It was colder and more rushed than expected, and surprisingly there was a host of others with the same idea, but it was worthwhile, exhilarating and beautiful to experience of the first light of 2023.
I do tend to get excited around new years – curious where the year will take me, excited about our new music, feeling relieved to put in more piano time after the holidays and eager to celebrate my birthday on January 5th too. I spend a lot of time composing and creating music I hope will uplift others around the world, so it’s a gift when we receive the first responses from music lovers and radio stations. It’s thrilling that the composing from last winter/spring for PARADISE COVE is now being played at the start of our new year. I can’t explain how wonderful that feels – just imagine if you were to have a baby and then wait for months to finally show off pictures of your new darling - YIPPEEE!!!!
There’s still a bit of mystery though … what tunes will everyone like best? So far I’ve heard the favored tracks are Another Simple Sunday With You, Birks' Works, Blues Vagabond and Fast Time Blues at radio, and Cha Cha Cha A' La Carte at iTunes. What’s my favorite? I would say Dizzy Gillespie’s Birks' Works is the most high octane of the bunch: I felt like I needed a seat belt on my piano bench when we recorded it, and I think the whole band did a great job on that classic. I’m also partial to Blues Vagabond – I think it really sounds cool with drummer Obed Calvaire’s contributions on it. As a pianist though, in my mind I always privately vote on what tunes are the most fun to play and improvise on: I think that’s a tie between Fast Time Blues and Cha Cha Cha A' La Carte – both are fun to play and you can even hear we’re having a great time recording them! Trumpeter Igmar Thomas’s favorite tune was Another Simple Sunday With You, a love song I wrote for my husband during the pandemic. I have always felt that love songs were easy to write, until I tried several times to write a new one – they are a bit harder to compose than I had expected, but I am (thankfully), happy how it turned out. Paradise Cove was the very first track played on radio in December on WCWP’s Instrumental Invasion Show with Mike Chimeri, and several people have said that they like that track a lot. Mediterranean Dreams, was bassist Luques Curtis’s favorite, and my mix engineer said Nightcap & A Little Chaos really “did it for him.” Obed said he liked the gospel vibe on Storybook Sequel which is about our collective urge to recapture our “storybook” or unfettered lifestyle of 2019. With each recording there is normally one tune that draws your attention when you listen through the entire album and Mercurial Moments grabbed me with its rhythm and lightness. What the World Needs Now is Love was a statement I felt strongly about recording, but it can be tricky to create jazz arrangements of iconic pop songs, and for a while I had no idea what I was going to do with it. Eventually I changed it to 4/4 instead of the original ¾ time, dropped the beginning down an octave, added some blues and asked Igmar to play with a mute to give a more subdued vibe. Now it’s a thoughtful & introspective version of the Burt Bacharach & Hal David tune that I hope will become a new classic.
Honestly though, I hope everyone enjoys all the new music! I wish a very happy new year to you and I thank everyone for the support and encouragement we received in 2022.
Lisa
REVIEWS FOR P A R A D I S E C O V E - Lisa Hilton / piano, Igmar Thomas / trumpet, Luques Curtis / bass, Obed Calvaire / drums
#1 Amazon New Release/Jazz (two months before release date)
10 Albums You Need To Know: December 2022 /Jazziz Magazine
#11 Amazon of all Cool Jazz Albums
Featured New Release for Jazz on Apple Music
Best Jazz Albums of 2022: Honorable Mention NYC Jazz Record
“A unique & brilliant sound by one of the best jazz pianists & 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
“This album kicks up the butanes…” JazzWeekly/George Harris
“Harmonic depth… highly melodic… bluesy…shimmering… stunning…danceable… lush…consistently strong…” Making A Scene/Jim Hynes
“It’s friendly jazz, the kind that reaches the senses directly…an album to be simply enjoyed.” Distrito Jazz (Jazz Zone)/Brazil
“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
“......very enjoyable.” CJSW 90.9 FM/Canada
“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
"Another beautiful project from Lisa Hilton!” WNTI/NJ
“Hilton just keeps on excelling with the presentation of the music - a pleasure to listen to & to present to our listeners…it’s always exciting to hear what comes up next.” 2MAXFM Australia
“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
“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
“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
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