Pianist Lisa Hilton returns with her eleventh album titled Twilight and Blues, a mixture of self-composed songs and covers of well knows bluesy numbers.
Guesting with Hilton are Larry Grenadier on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet and J.D. Allen on tenor.
Starting with “Pandemonium”, a Hilton composed basic funk outing, Hilton is surrounded by Pelt, Grenadier and Nash to form a quartet setting – by the time this track finishes it sounds like they have played this number for years and it comes easy to them.
Dipping into the Joni Mitchell catalogue, Hilton records her own version of the 1970 song “Woodstock.” Though countless versions have been covered and recorded, Hilton takes this to another level. Hilton keeps the original tone of the song as it was intended (the New York rock festival) and also gives it a new life – same theme, a slightly different atmosphere.
Having Jeremy Pelt on this record was a smart move. His trumpet playing on the Marvin Gaye classic “What’s Going On/Extended Take” is extraordinary. Drummer Lewis Nash excels on “Turbulence Blue.” His soft, subtle approach behind Hilton is what makes this Hilton composed number stand out at the mid way point of the album.
Being a classically trained pianist and being able to branch out into different genres like the blues and the blues rock world, pianist Lisa Hilton has managed to over a wide spectrum on Twilight and Blues. The album ends with a shorter version of “What’s Going On” and what is going on? A fine album from Lisa Hilton.
Lisa Hilton: Twilight and Blues
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