Read the full article here

Read the full article here

At Club Soda on Saturday night, in a concert dubbed ‘A Return to Montreal‘ – Hill proved once more why he is considered to be one of the best blues guitarists in North America. How about one of the best blues guitarists period!

” The tour has be great so far …” Says Hill following his two hour performance. ” Everywhere I have played it’s been sold out and my solo performance is getting approval.”

Hill is referring to his latest album; Steve Hill Solo Recordings Volume One. A disc which was released this past summer and is a homage to the great blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Robert Johnson. From the moment the blonde-haired guitarist steps on stage and takes his place behind a bass drum and a high-hat, it is clear. This is the way the Blues are supposed to be played. This is the way Steve Hill is supposed to play …

Once upon a time – Muddy Waters plugged his guitar into an amp and commenced playing on the street in front of his girlfriend’s place. It was fierce, it was unique and it garnered attention from the many passerby on the way to work or play. Now – people gather at a club in Montreal to listen to the same fierceness and uniqueness that Hill provides.

It comes from original compositions such as ‘King of the World’, ‘About Phase’ and ‘Ever Changing World’. Within these songs are a young Robert Johnson and Elmore James. Angry riffs sustaining the music which was at one time the tunes of the oppressed and underprivileged. Anthems to freedom.

Hill is a presence on stage. The way he plays his guitar with conviction. Alone, with no backing band to fill in the gaps. Nobody to supply security as is the case in many groups. If Hill makes a mistake – it would resonate around the room like a weasel attempting to escape a box without holes. Maybe that is what makes Hill so good. Perfection arrives through a self -induced musical coma. A trance which few can match and no player can play along with. Charlie Parker, the great Jazz player was in that zone for much of the time as was Miles Davis.

Steve Hill is the same type of player.

“The first set was okay.” Says Hill. “The second set I really felt it all come together. I can see myself start to gain momentum.”

‘Preachin Blues’ – the Robert Johnson song, was one of the second half songs. Following a brief introduction where Hill asks the crowd if they are aware of the fabled artist who sold his soul at the ‘crossroads’ and if not, they should be because Johnson’s songs have been covered by the Stones, Zeppelin and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Hill then proceeds to play a slide guitar which boggles the mind and ears.His fingers as fast as a mouse scurrying along a vinyl record. Watching this talent within a five foot radius, ‘shrinks’ even the greatest cover band player into a self-induced inferiority complex they may never come out of …

Members of the audience who are witnessing tunes such as ‘Got To Be Strong’ and ‘Coming Back to You’ for the first time will have sore eyes in the aftermath of a show. Their eyes widen like crop circles in the making. Each second Hill does something magically with his guitars. Each song delivering a ‘How did he do that?’ moment. A ‘shake the head’ anthology primed for Ripley’s Believe It or Not segment.

Hill and his ‘non-band’ have a couple of shows left before Xmas and then he is settling down to enjoy the holidays before hitting the studio to record a new album. Steve Hill Solo Recordings Volume Two? Nothing is certain except …

Steve Hill is meant to play guitar …

Read the full article here

Technicalities: A guitar in the hands, drums and percussion at his feet, Steve Hill displayed the full array of his talent. The sound was impeccable, as you would expect for this type of set up and venue. Switching from acoustic to electric, with an unusual but extremely effective guitar playing technique, Hill definitely impressed the blues fans in the room.

Sex appeal / image: Steve Hill proved his ability to entertain a very diverse crowd for more than 2 hours and make them scream for more. In between the songs, he took the time to talk to the audience showing how friendly and approachable of a guy he is. His guitar playing skills combined with deep and solid vocals make him an outstanding musician, but to me, the passion and soul he puts into each and every tune make him one of the best blues performers I’ve seen.

Memorable moments: I found the encore to be just what everyone needed to conclude the show: after 2 hours of playing, singing and drumming, Steve Hill comes back with his own version of Voodoo Child, adding wild solos to it and jumping to A Whole Lotta Love, making the whole piece his own and driving the crowd crazy.

Mentionable songs: having discovered Steve Hill at the time he released “Devil at my Heels”, I remain a big fan of his full band rock sound. So when he grabbed his acoustic guitar (he actually started on a blues electric tune, but broke a string 30 seconds into it… fast turnaround!) and played his acoustic arrangement of “Gotta be strong”, I was simply blown away!

read the full article here

C’est aussi la période où je vous propose mon bilan musical annuel.

Voici dans le désordre, ce qui a marqué mes oreilles cette année :

2- Steve Hill, Solo recordings vol.1.  J’ai toujours apprécié le jeu de guitare de Steve Hill, un guitar hero qui serait une superstar s’il était de nationalité états-unienne… Mais Steve Hill est Québécois. Denys Arcand dirait de lui que son destin est tragique. J’ai toujours apprécié le gars donc, mais jusqu’ici tous ses albums m’avaient déçu. Voilà que le gars reprend sa guitare et nous balance du pur blues à plein empli. Ça sonne comme du vieux Whitestripes, c’est parfois même plus puissant! Courrez voir son spectacle s’il passe dans votre coin. Et quand vous y êtes, après avoir constaté comment Steve joue sur sa guitare – pas de pic, en laissant courir ses doigts comme sur un piano jazz – vous fermerez les yeux et vous serez subjugués que ce gars-là soit seul sur scène devant vous. Où est son band? Son band, c’est lui.

See the full article here (french)

The first time the drums hit so hard that they’ll take a listener’s breath away is with the fuzzy and warm kick drum which drives “Ever Changing World,” which opens the album. There, after they reclaim their breath, listeners will discover what it means to truly feel the rhythm as the guitars coil around them and hold them warmly. That dusty guitar will calm any hesitation a listener might have about diving headfirst into this record and, as the song fades out, listeners will be off with it; ready to follow wherever it leads.

As it turns out, the destinations that Hill is bound for through this ten-track excursion are any and every greasy spoon that will allow him to play – and he sings about some of them here. He laments his trouble in Hogtown (that’s Toronto – for those who don’t know) when he blows into town for the first time in “The Ballad of Johnny Wabo” and nearly screams, “It’s good to be home!” in “Gotta Be Strong And Carry On” before the wanderlust grips him again “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More.” It’s an excellent journey and listeners are offered a set of snapshots to take as keepsakes along the way – but if those aren’t enough, the guitarist kicks in a few standards (a Robert Johnson song here, an Allman Brothers Band song there and a couple of others for good measure) to quench the old timers’ love of orthodoxy too. Overall, Solo Recordings makes for a decent portrait of a journeyman player willing to do what he has to and go where he needs to go to get noticed for his talent. There is, of course, no guarantee he will get noticed but, based on the chops and presentation he offers here, there’s no question that he is certainly deserving.
Read the full article on Ground Control Mag