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Binkelman's Corner by Bill Binkelman |
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Bill Binkelman is a long-time icon in the industry. |
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| Twilight & Blues |
| By Lisa Hilton |
| Label: Ruby Slippers Productions |
| Released 7/4/2009 |
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| Twilight & Blues tracks |
1. Pandemonium
2. Woodstock (Joni Mitchell)
3. What's Going On/Extended Take (Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson)
4. City Streets
5. Turbulent Blue
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6. Twilight
7. Kozmic Blues (Janis Joplin and Gabriel Mekler)
8. Blue For You
9. Moon River (Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer)
10. What's Going On
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Twilight & Blues |
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While I may not be the greatest jazz music critic writing today, I've heard enough in my day so that I don't think it's hubris on my part to proclaim Lisa Hilton as the First Lady of jazz piano. In my estimation, she has earned the title. Her latest release, twilight & blues, on which she works with a solid quartet of accompanists (Larry Grenadier: bass, Lewis Nash: drums, Jeremy Pelt: trumpet, and J.D. Allen: tenor sax), crackles, sizzles, cooks and slinks through Hilton's now-characteristic superb mixture of originals and idiosyncratic cover tunes. As one would expect, given the CD's title, the emphasis (subtle though it may be at times) is on the blues, but Hilton seldom does anything in an ordinary fashion, so while there are bluesy riffs and "he broke my heart" moments, there are plenty of other wrinkles, too. And, also as usual, Hilton once again earns the secondary title of "most unselfish lead artist" as she often surrenders the spotlight to her band-mates, all of whom are more than up to the task.
Things kick off in funky high gear on Pandemonium, the first of five originals. Jump boogie rhythms and spirited piano are accented by great horn work from both Pelt and Allen. Love the solo bass runs, too with wood block and cymbal in the background. Way to start an album, LH! An abrupt shift of gears brings us to one of Hilton's most out-of-left-field covers, Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock, which gets a treatment that allows the recognizable refrain to only surface now and then, instead emphasizing a somber, mysterious yet gently jazzy take on this folk rock classic. For my money, Hilton always delivers some of the most intriguing and emotionally dense interpretations of other artists' works. As if to underline my point, the next track is a cover of Marvin Gaye’s iconic What’s Going On which sways softly as Hilton, Pelt, and Allen take turns pirouetting around each other in a luxuriant sensual dance.
Three originals follow: City Streets (a re-arrangement of the previous version which was on Hilton's Midnight in Manhattan CD, and I agree with her assertion in the liner notes that this new version is the better of the two), Turbulent Blue (a cut that illustrates the passion and the sadness which coexist in the genre), and Twilight (a piece that throbs and hums with the pulse of night in the city, filled with tempered energy and a sense of excitement). Closing out the CD are a truly beautiful version of Janis Joplin’s Kozmic Blues performed solo by Hilton and laced with poignancy and tangible sorrow, the original Blue for You, a slow yet sexy ensemble piece, a heart-breakingly tender cover of Mancini's Moon River (again done as a solo piano number) and, finally, a shorter version of What’s Going On.
I've written it before, but it bears repeating. Lisa Hilton has it all: prodigious performing talent, amazing compositional versatility, true selflessness as a band leader, and, let's face it, gorgeous looks that won't quit. Above it all, though, what comes through more than anything else is her warmth and sincerity. No faux sentimentality here, no glitter, no sheen that hides a superficial nothingness. Lisa Hilton is the original article, folks, and a true gift to jazz lovers everywhere.
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Rating: Excellent  |
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- reviewed by Bill Binkelman on 12/27/2009 |
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