Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi There!

I hope you are doing well, and looking forward to the Holiday. I decided to cook vegetarian this year, just to give it a try, so wish me luck! I hope your Thanksgiving goes well too.

It's been busy this fall, but more relaxed since my release, "Sunny Day Theory" has been out since late summer. Lots of good news though. Still on some charts after about 3 months, and spins are up too - THANK YOU! Many stations go to Holiday music soon, but "Sunny Day Theory" works just fine with Holiday music too. Thomas Conrad's review in Jazz Times reported: "Lisa Hilton plays feel-good music...and, after all, who doesn't like to feel good?". Just nominated for the Roots Music Association Jazz Award along with Herbie Hancock, Charlie Hayden, Dianne Reeves, Foreplay and others. How nice is that!

I've also seen some terrific concerts this fall. The photo above I took at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition that featured B.B. King, Bono and others. WOW! Then I saw the great classical pianist, Lang Lang at UCLA's Royce Hall - equally impressive, and last weekend, a pianist's thrill with Brad Mehldau, McCoy Tyner, and Ellis Marsalis and company. Whew! SoCal can go a long time without much entertainment, and then everyone comes at once - ( I unfortunately missed Aaron Parks). I'm also composing a bit, and working on music for touring: I will be in Chicago on January 8th at Andy's Jazz Club in a benefit for The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, and then I'm off to San Francisco to Biscuits & Blues on January 17th. I think I'll be in Tucson soon after that, and I'm trying to make my way around this year, so come see me if you can!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Take care,

Lisa

Lisa Hilton at Catalina Bar and Grill

Hi there,

Fall is settling in slowly in Malibu - hot, hot weather, but then cooling off for a day or so before it returns, as if trying to get used to the idea of a new season. Wish us luck as we start our "fire season" here too! Last year at this time I was composing Sunny Day Theory and here is it out at radio and doing well on several charts. The favorite tracks at radio right now are "Heat Wave", "Meltdown", "Sunny Day Theory" and the Joe Zawinul track, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. When you work on the music you have no idea what will be other people's favorites, so it's always nice to know.

Performing recently at Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood was great fun - Steinway gave me a wonderful Hamburg D that was a real pleasure to play. A good sign is when people stay so late, that the staff is vacuuming and people are still lingering on a week night! I will be in Chicago January 8th at Andy's and it looks good for San Francisco in January too. I am also hoping to have a few other east coast stops as well, but they are in the works for now.

Take care,

Lisa Hilton

Lisa with President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter

Hi There,

I hope you are doing well with the end of summer, if not the hot weather behind us. I just got back from a business trip to Seattle myself - beautiful weather in the Pacific NW! Saw a great show by Phoebe Snow - just terrific.

"Sunny Day Theory" my latest release, just started at radio and we've had a remarkable response: in about 2 weeks over 100 stations are playing the album, debuting well on the CMJ radio start and showing up on most added lists and chartbound. Wonderful! Thank you, thank you radio! I really appreciate it! Nice reviews are just coming in too, so it feels like a Holiday around here: a working Holiday though!

For anyone in or around Los Angeles, we are having a performance and CD Release Event at Catalina Jazz Club, catalinajazzclub.com on Tuesday, September 23rd, with dinner at 6:30 and I'll be playing at 8pm. I hope you can make it!

I am trying something new on this CD: dismayed by ongoing conflicts around the world and to honor of the spirit of the song, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” by Pete Seeger, I will be donating all 2008 proceeds of this track derived from digitally-downloaded sales (iTunes, et al) to The Carter Center which was created in 1982 by former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. This is a new idea to allow listeners and fans to donate “musically” to a great organization, and I am looking forward to seeing the response. (I am also hoping to match the download donations that we receive personally to the extent that I am able to). Playing “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” on a radio station will send royalty payments to the composer, Pete Seeger of course. By playing this tune and announcing that digital downloads of this track will be donated to the Carter Center and matched by the artist, or by buying the track on iTunes or other digital retailer, we have a chance at making a positive difference in a very musical way without any of the high costs involved with large benefit fundraisers.

Take care,

Lisa

cookies and other gifts

Hi There,

My latest release, "Sunny Day Theory" has officially shipped to radio - a miraculous 10 short weeks after our studio sessions. I am relieved to be done and excited for the response it will receive. Wish us luck! (Larry Grenadier/bass, Lewis Nash/drums, and Brice Winston/tenor sax with me above at Capitol Studios on June 4th).

The President of a large jazz website asked me: "You realize you've really outdown yourself on this one don't you?" I replied that I really wasn't sure what I felt about it, other than a little tired at this point! I really care about radio and fans-always have, so I spend time thinking about what everyone would like much like choosing a Holiday gift. My rule of thumb on track selection: something old, something new, something borrowed and some blues!

Every Christmas I bake cookies. Four or five different sorts, fancy packages, the whole bit. Probably hundreds of homemade cookies every year and dozens of baskets, and although I appreciate it when I get help say on the dishes, for the most part I do it all, because I feel that it is truly from the heart and soul of the person and that it is more meaningful in our hectic world today when we receive something like that. I feel the same way about sending out music to radio: it truly is a gift to you - much labored over! I hope you and your listeners enjoy! I have received my first radio review and since it is from Spain, it seems more charming, so I will share an excerpt here from A Ultima Fronteira: "La estupenda pianista....magnificas composiciones". I hope many more agree!

Take care and have a wonderful end of the summer!

Lisa

My new release is out for summer!

Hi There!

I hope you are enjoying the summer! I am very excited to share, "Sunny Day Theory" with you! It's been fun and a lot of work too - no walk on the beach, but I'm really happy with it - I hope you like it too. It features Lewis Nash/drums, Larry Grenadier/bass and Brice Winston/tenor sax. The new CD has been sent to radio, and is up on iTunes, and CDBaby, and it will be available very soon on Amazon and LisaHiltonMusic.com Please check out my website to see all the new photos and stuff too!

Take care,

Lisa

Hi There!

Hi There!



I hope that you are doing well and enjoying the start of summer. I'm sorry I've been out of touch for a bit, but I have been finishing up a new release. This photo was taken as we were mixing the music at Capitol with my engineers, Steve Genowick and Al Schmitt. Since that was an NBA playoffs night, I was wearing my "Lucky" Lakers cap, which is now in the floor in my closet! Oh well, it was a fun playoff series. Congrats to the Celtics and Boston too, who seem to be in sports heaven the last couple of years!

I really hadn't intended to create a new CD, but the music was just pouring out of me last winter, and I always take that as a good sign. In the studio with me I had my favorite drummer of all times, Mr. Lewis Nash, and truly an amazing bass player, Larry Grenadier whose work with Brad Mehldau I have admired for years. I think what seems to go hand in hand with great talent, are great hearts. Lewis and Larry are incredibly nice and warm people, not to mention bright and funny too. Joining us for one day on tenor was Brice Winston, who has done such terrific work with Terrance Blanchard. So, yes, I was thrilled to work with such incredible talent and yes, we had a great time! I love the music too - very upbeat.

I'll keep you posted on the release date - I had planned on a winter release, but now I'm thinking the music would be great for late summer. We'll see!

Take care,

Lisa