--=[ Warren Hill ]=--

Warren Hill - La Dolce Vita [2008]

Pop superstar Natasha Bedingfield wasn't the only artist bringing a "Pocketful of Sunshine" to the musical landscape in 2008. Thanks to veteran contemporary jazz saxman Warren Hill's equal penchant for colorful vocals, his vibrant and romantic singalong "Sunshine" is an early highlight on his compelling, melodically and groovingly irresistible Koch Records debut, La Dolce Vita. Hill is so optimistic that even when the clouds come, they pour out a graceful soprano ballad full of balmy acoustic guitar harmony and "Warm Rain." Like a lot of artists in his genre who have been around since NAC became "smooth jazz," Hill's a survivor, heading to smaller labels when the majors jumped ship and always finding a comfortable home to funk around in. Song for song, this collection is as high-spirited, sensual, and colorful as any he's ever done, starting with the cool struttin' "Mojo" on down through the seductive horn-doubling extravaganzas "Daydreamer" and "Gimme Some," and digging down and dirtier on the old-school jam "Skinny Dippin'." Nearly 20 years into his career, Hill was still enjoying a little balmy exotica among his in-the-pocket can't-miss radio-ready tracks; here, he shuffles down to Rio on the moody, cosmopolitan, and vibes-kissed "The Jive Samba" and mixes Jamaican "industrialism" with sensual Latin dance grooves and horn snazziness on the appropriately titled "Hill Be Jammin'." The erstwhile rock & roller also keeps his longstanding history of doing classic rock tunes alive with a smoothed-out, dreamily hypnotic twist on "Light My Fire." As the title implies, Hill plays with a lot of sugar, as in instantly catchy ear candy. But there's enough blister and edge to make this a rich artistic triumph as well. Along for the ride are some of smooth jazz's always dependable "usual suspects," including Nathan East, Paul Jackson, Jr., and labelmates Jeff Golub and Philippe Saisse.















Warren Hill - PopJazz [2005]

The Popjazz/Native Language debut from hit saxophonist Warren Hill proves that music can imitate art. Popjazz, which features special guests Brian Culbertson, Grammy® winner Norman Brown, and guitarist Jeff Golub, characterizes the mood of the 1950s/60s pop art movement by utilizing broad techniques and production styles found in today’s greatest pop albums. Having sold over a million records worldwide since his 1991 debut album, Warren embarks on a new career path to explore unique musical textures and carry forth as a core artist in the pop-instrumental format with 11 all-new tracks that include several well-known arrangements of "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)", "Back At One," "Low Rider," and "Come Together."

Warren Hill has long been pegged as a David Sanborn imitator in jazz circles. Actually Hill has gradually developed his own voice within smooth pop music although he has never shown the desire to move much beyond his melodic themes.














Warren Hill - Love Life [2000]

Perhaps it says a lot about the way Warren Hill's personal life is positively affecting his creative drive when the single most unforgettable tune on the saxman's Narada Jazz debut, Love Life, is a charming and overly sentimental little number about how his baby daughter "Olivia" has changed his perspective on both life and music. Hill's voice is breathy and soft compared to his robust sax playing, but the handful of other vocal tunes here show some positive steps toward becoming a full-scale multi-talented singer/songwriter.

On sax, Hill continues to learn the art of subtlety, as the title track, a largely atmospheric duet with trumpeter Chris Botti, demonstrates. Beyond that, everything else on Love Life reflects Hill's typically powerful, emotive approach. Funk alternates with steamily seductive passages. Unique stylistic variations are tossed in. A horn-punched cover of Grover Washington's classic "Mr. Magic" is punctuated with a rap about Hill's introduction to the music of his late idol. The bouncy "Why You Gotta Worry" shows off Hill's ongoing love for reggae fun, while "Mambo 2000" begins with a steamy Gato Barbieri flavor before leaping into a festive, turbo-charged Latin-brass-meets-rock jam.


* Thanks 2 DWBass 4 "La Dolce Vita" *


All track info is in the comment section...