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Copyright 1998-06 Inspire Productions. All Rights Reserved. Design by Fotowerks
Copyright 1998-06 Inspire Productions. All Rights Reserved. Design by Fotowerks
Natural Evolution
John Reid/Keith Community Radio
Media name: John Reid
Company name: Keith Community Radio
Date: 2006-06-13 10:12:48
Feedback: Thank you for sending on this C.D. I thoroughly enjoyed this Album from first to last. All the tracks are well crafted and superbly arranged. This is Jazz easy to listen to,cool, funky,and flows along with subtle,and mellow tones. It would be nice to hear Mr Hill record an Album with a Latin Jazz theme, with his talent, this would be something to savour. I will undoubtedly be playing tracks from this C.D. in future Jazz Programmes on K.C.R. Top Marks to all concerned. Best Regards, John Reid, Keith Community Radio 102.8 FM Keith, Banffshire, Scotland
Media name: Michael Criddle
Triple H-FM
Media name: Michael Criddle
Company name: Triple H-FM
Date: 2006-07-17 04:20:12
Feedback: What a great sound you have, I have played several of your tracks to date and plan to schedule more in future programs. Keep up the good work and please keep me up to date with your progress Regards Michael Criddle ozradio@ozisp.com.au
Media name: Dennis Gardner
Highland FM
Media name: Dennis Gardner
Company name: Highland FM
Date: 2006-07-18 10:52:09
Feedback: a great album release with 9 of the 12 tracks either getting or scheduled for airplay on adult contemporary programmes . . . tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 . . . dennis gardner
Featured Artist
JazzReview.com
Featured Artist: Willie Hill
CD Title: A Restful Day
Year: 2004
Record Label: Joy Records
Style: Smooth Jazz
Musicians: Gwen Farrington (lead vocal), Shawn "CoCo" McMillan (lead vocal), Yvette Bolden (background vocals), Tony Springs (lead vocals, background vocals, keyboards, drum programming), Willie Hill (acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards, drum programming), James Brown (alto sax, soprano sax)
Review: Durham, North Carolina, native Willie Hill incorporates his experiences as a soul and rhythm and blues musician into a reflective 10-track album, "A Restful Day."
And restful it is. The tracks on this album is a perfect gift to anyone wanting to unwind after a taxing, stressful day. Get away with the smooth sounds of "An Evening in Cannes" to the reflective vocals of Tony Springs, in "Fly Away." His vocal range, along with other background singers, adds a sensual touch to the music.
What makes "A Restful Day" memorable is the music as well. The keyboards and drum programming makes the title track refreshing for soulful meditation.
Hill is an example of "hidden" jazz musicians who continue to develop stellar music, just waiting to be rediscovered.
Tracks: Too Late, Is It Real, Fly Away, A Restful Day, I'm On My Way, Broken Pieces, Unwind, Always, An Evening in Cannes, Unwind (reprise)
Record Label Website: http://www.inspireproductions.biz
Reviewed by: Natasha Washington/JazzReview.com
Featured Artist
JazzReview.com
Featured Artist: Willie Hill
CD Title: Open Door
Year: 2002
Record Label: Joy Records
Style: Smooth Jazz
Review: Multi-instrumentalist Willie Hill is one of the best undiscovered talents I have heard in a long time. From modest beginnings building a recording studio out of a former tobacco warehouse in Durham, North Carolina to releasing his material on his own record label, Hill has shown that even if he works in a relatively small town, he still can perform with smooth jazz's elite. His newest release Open Door brings out a different type of sensitivity that most projects of his kind do not possess.
Usually in projects where a musician plays most of the instruments on a CD, there seems to be a similarity in how the tracks sound. In Open Door, Hill performs each instrument with a different kind of feeling that surprises me. Even though he does use James Brown on sax and Mickey Mills on steel drums, Hill's mastery of the other instruments on the nine tracks shows throughout Open Door.
Another thing I was impressed with on the CD was the versatility of Willie Hill. He is very good on the uptempo numbers and has the right amount of sensitivity on the slower songs. Of note, Tony Springs' vocals on Let This Be Love have feeling, yet has the right amount of feeling. Hill wrote all but two tracks on the CD and seems to be comfortable in whatever he writes. The only low point on Open Door was Yvette Bolden's vocal on Interlude. The song itself was good, but someone that shows a little more emotion would make the song better.
For a man who has been working all his life to be able to present his music his way, Willie Hill has succeeded in what he does best. Open Door will open up more doors for Hill and he will have a bright future making music his way.
Record Label Website: http://www.allmusic.com
Artist's Website: http://www.inspireproductions.biz
Reviewed by: Norm Breest
Willie Hill Open Door
SmoothVibes
March 2003 Denis Poole offers his view with an english slant on all that's good in smooth jazz
Welcome to the March 2003 issue of Denis Poole's Secret Garden, the page that offers a British perspective on all that's good, and not so good, in the world of smooth jazz.
Willie Hill - Open Door
This month has been one of those times in the music review business where an artist has come onto the Secret Garden radar screen with a piece of music that makes it hard to understand why a break through into the really big time has not yet come.
The artist is Willie Hill and the recording is Open Door on the Joy record label.
Willie Hill - Open Door
Multi instrumentalist Willie Hill is one of the best-undiscovered talents on the scene today. Modest beginnings saw him build a recording studio out of a former tobacco warehouse in Durham NC, and progress to releasing his own material on his own label. Hill has shown that, even if he works in his own relatively small town, he can still operate with the elite of smooth jazz. This latest release Open Door brings out a different sort of sensitivity. Hill performs with each different instrument and engenders a different kind of feeling with every one. Integrating James Brown on sax and Mickey Mills on steel drums, Hill’s mastery of the other instruments shines through through on all nine tracks.
Open Door is Hill’s fifth album release and, talking for an interview in the Herald Sun of Durham, he says, ‘ It took a long time for me to find my niche. I went through a lot of phases like most artists do. The funny thing is that years ago my wife told me that I needed to do an instrumental album but I didn’t think it would work. As it turns out she was right’.
Hill believes that Open Door is his best album to date and anyone who is familiar with his discography will be inclined to agree. His sound travels effortlessly between R & B and smooth jazz, dominated by instrumental tracks that find inspiration in Hills cool and melodic inventiveness.
Hill wrote most of the tracks for Open Door, engineered the tracks and performed on keyboards and bass guitar as well as doing the drum programming. Although the album is basically a ‘one man’ creation he was wise enough to know where to go when it was time to master the record. He brought in Brent Lambert from The Kitchen in Carrboro.
Standouts from the album are many and varied. Track #1 is the tight and funky ‘Me and JB’ that gets the show nicely on the road. Track #4, the fantastic and haunting ‘Did You Give It Thanks’ is very much a tune for rainy days or lonely nights. Track #5, ‘Late Nite’ is mellow, laid back and tinged with a feel good sensation. Track #6, ‘Think’ finds Hill at his very excellent best with some terrific piano work.
Open Door is already enjoying airplay in Holland, Spain and the USA. There is good reason to expect that the album will find even more radio outlets, particularly in Europe.
Some Love & Peace
All Music Guide
The fourth self-released record from Durham, NC, native Willie Hill is definitely his most polished effort to date. Hill is a one-man army, having produced, engineered, and arranged the 11 tracks on the CD. In addition, he penned ten of the 11 tracks and performed the bulk of the instrumental work. Hill's sound is a smooth fusion of urban soul and an understated jazz sensibility. He works a animated jazz-funk groove on "I Wonder," a tune that also benefits from some fine alto sax work from James Brown. The title track is a bluesy, laid-back, jazz instrumental that affords tenor sax man Ira Wiggins an opportunity to unwind a gentle, articulate solo. In addition to his considerable chops as an arranger, Hill brings a nice emotional depth to his vocals, as we hear on the socially relevant "Stand Up" and "If I Had." The only track on the album not written by Hill, "Miracle," is given a moving interpretation by Tony Springs, who wrote the tune. Some Love and Peace is a solid indie soul album, highlighted by an impressive group of original songs. ~ Philip Van Vleck, All Music Guide
John Reid/Keith Community Radio
Media name: John Reid
Company name: Keith Community Radio
Date: 2006-06-13 10:12:48
Feedback: Thank you for sending on this C.D. I thoroughly enjoyed this Album from first to last. All the tracks are well crafted and superbly arranged. This is Jazz easy to listen to,cool, funky,and flows along with subtle,and mellow tones. It would be nice to hear Mr Hill record an Album with a Latin Jazz theme, with his talent, this would be something to savour. I will undoubtedly be playing tracks from this C.D. in future Jazz Programmes on K.C.R. Top Marks to all concerned. Best Regards, John Reid, Keith Community Radio 102.8 FM Keith, Banffshire, Scotland
Media name: Michael Criddle
Triple H-FM
Media name: Michael Criddle
Company name: Triple H-FM
Date: 2006-07-17 04:20:12
Feedback: What a great sound you have, I have played several of your tracks to date and plan to schedule more in future programs. Keep up the good work and please keep me up to date with your progress Regards Michael Criddle ozradio@ozisp.com.au
Media name: Dennis Gardner
Highland FM
Media name: Dennis Gardner
Company name: Highland FM
Date: 2006-07-18 10:52:09
Feedback: a great album release with 9 of the 12 tracks either getting or scheduled for airplay on adult contemporary programmes . . . tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 . . . dennis gardner
Featured Artist
JazzReview.com
Featured Artist: Willie Hill
CD Title: A Restful Day
Year: 2004
Record Label: Joy Records
Style: Smooth Jazz
Musicians: Gwen Farrington (lead vocal), Shawn "CoCo" McMillan (lead vocal), Yvette Bolden (background vocals), Tony Springs (lead vocals, background vocals, keyboards, drum programming), Willie Hill (acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards, drum programming), James Brown (alto sax, soprano sax)
Review: Durham, North Carolina, native Willie Hill incorporates his experiences as a soul and rhythm and blues musician into a reflective 10-track album, "A Restful Day."
And restful it is. The tracks on this album is a perfect gift to anyone wanting to unwind after a taxing, stressful day. Get away with the smooth sounds of "An Evening in Cannes" to the reflective vocals of Tony Springs, in "Fly Away." His vocal range, along with other background singers, adds a sensual touch to the music.
What makes "A Restful Day" memorable is the music as well. The keyboards and drum programming makes the title track refreshing for soulful meditation.
Hill is an example of "hidden" jazz musicians who continue to develop stellar music, just waiting to be rediscovered.
Tracks: Too Late, Is It Real, Fly Away, A Restful Day, I'm On My Way, Broken Pieces, Unwind, Always, An Evening in Cannes, Unwind (reprise)
Record Label Website: http://www.inspireproductions.biz
Reviewed by: Natasha Washington/JazzReview.com
Featured Artist
JazzReview.com
Featured Artist: Willie Hill
CD Title: Open Door
Year: 2002
Record Label: Joy Records
Style: Smooth Jazz
Review: Multi-instrumentalist Willie Hill is one of the best undiscovered talents I have heard in a long time. From modest beginnings building a recording studio out of a former tobacco warehouse in Durham, North Carolina to releasing his material on his own record label, Hill has shown that even if he works in a relatively small town, he still can perform with smooth jazz's elite. His newest release Open Door brings out a different type of sensitivity that most projects of his kind do not possess.
Usually in projects where a musician plays most of the instruments on a CD, there seems to be a similarity in how the tracks sound. In Open Door, Hill performs each instrument with a different kind of feeling that surprises me. Even though he does use James Brown on sax and Mickey Mills on steel drums, Hill's mastery of the other instruments on the nine tracks shows throughout Open Door.
Another thing I was impressed with on the CD was the versatility of Willie Hill. He is very good on the uptempo numbers and has the right amount of sensitivity on the slower songs. Of note, Tony Springs' vocals on Let This Be Love have feeling, yet has the right amount of feeling. Hill wrote all but two tracks on the CD and seems to be comfortable in whatever he writes. The only low point on Open Door was Yvette Bolden's vocal on Interlude. The song itself was good, but someone that shows a little more emotion would make the song better.
For a man who has been working all his life to be able to present his music his way, Willie Hill has succeeded in what he does best. Open Door will open up more doors for Hill and he will have a bright future making music his way.
Record Label Website: http://www.allmusic.com
Artist's Website: http://www.inspireproductions.biz
Reviewed by: Norm Breest
Willie Hill Open Door
SmoothVibes
March 2003 Denis Poole offers his view with an english slant on all that's good in smooth jazz
Welcome to the March 2003 issue of Denis Poole's Secret Garden, the page that offers a British perspective on all that's good, and not so good, in the world of smooth jazz.
Willie Hill - Open Door
This month has been one of those times in the music review business where an artist has come onto the Secret Garden radar screen with a piece of music that makes it hard to understand why a break through into the really big time has not yet come.
The artist is Willie Hill and the recording is Open Door on the Joy record label.
Willie Hill - Open Door
Multi instrumentalist Willie Hill is one of the best-undiscovered talents on the scene today. Modest beginnings saw him build a recording studio out of a former tobacco warehouse in Durham NC, and progress to releasing his own material on his own label. Hill has shown that, even if he works in his own relatively small town, he can still operate with the elite of smooth jazz. This latest release Open Door brings out a different sort of sensitivity. Hill performs with each different instrument and engenders a different kind of feeling with every one. Integrating James Brown on sax and Mickey Mills on steel drums, Hill’s mastery of the other instruments shines through through on all nine tracks.
Open Door is Hill’s fifth album release and, talking for an interview in the Herald Sun of Durham, he says, ‘ It took a long time for me to find my niche. I went through a lot of phases like most artists do. The funny thing is that years ago my wife told me that I needed to do an instrumental album but I didn’t think it would work. As it turns out she was right’.
Hill believes that Open Door is his best album to date and anyone who is familiar with his discography will be inclined to agree. His sound travels effortlessly between R & B and smooth jazz, dominated by instrumental tracks that find inspiration in Hills cool and melodic inventiveness.
Hill wrote most of the tracks for Open Door, engineered the tracks and performed on keyboards and bass guitar as well as doing the drum programming. Although the album is basically a ‘one man’ creation he was wise enough to know where to go when it was time to master the record. He brought in Brent Lambert from The Kitchen in Carrboro.
Standouts from the album are many and varied. Track #1 is the tight and funky ‘Me and JB’ that gets the show nicely on the road. Track #4, the fantastic and haunting ‘Did You Give It Thanks’ is very much a tune for rainy days or lonely nights. Track #5, ‘Late Nite’ is mellow, laid back and tinged with a feel good sensation. Track #6, ‘Think’ finds Hill at his very excellent best with some terrific piano work.
Open Door is already enjoying airplay in Holland, Spain and the USA. There is good reason to expect that the album will find even more radio outlets, particularly in Europe.
Some Love & Peace
All Music Guide
The fourth self-released record from Durham, NC, native Willie Hill is definitely his most polished effort to date. Hill is a one-man army, having produced, engineered, and arranged the 11 tracks on the CD. In addition, he penned ten of the 11 tracks and performed the bulk of the instrumental work. Hill's sound is a smooth fusion of urban soul and an understated jazz sensibility. He works a animated jazz-funk groove on "I Wonder," a tune that also benefits from some fine alto sax work from James Brown. The title track is a bluesy, laid-back, jazz instrumental that affords tenor sax man Ira Wiggins an opportunity to unwind a gentle, articulate solo. In addition to his considerable chops as an arranger, Hill brings a nice emotional depth to his vocals, as we hear on the socially relevant "Stand Up" and "If I Had." The only track on the album not written by Hill, "Miracle," is given a moving interpretation by Tony Springs, who wrote the tune. Some Love and Peace is a solid indie soul album, highlighted by an impressive group of original songs. ~ Philip Van Vleck, All Music Guide
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