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| Hilliard Greene Goes It ’Alone’ After 18 Years with Jimmy Scott A long and fruitful performance relationship has come to an amicable end between world-class bassist Hilliard (Hill) Greene and legendary jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott. After 13 years as Mr. Scott's musical director, and 18 years overall as his sideman, after many recordings, numerous television and radio programs, and countless concert tours and club dates, Hill Greene is wading in the musical waters elsewhere. The title of Mr. Greene's first solo CD, "Alone, " could hold some prophetic notes, but surely not for long. Above all, this move frees up Mr. Greene to play a greater variety of music and pursue more creative elements in jazz with other groups. Venues have expanded for him in Europe and especially Latin America where he has toured and recorded increasingly over the past few years. Among other experiments, he's been studying and playing tango rhythms for several years, along with learning Spanish to fully explore this new genre. Ever renowned as a jazz bassist, but never limited to one style, Mr. Greene could pop up just about anywhere like he did with Carnival Skin, a newly formed quintet of "composers, innovators, and improvisers, " at the 2006 International Jazz Festival of Montreal. His techniques were described by JazzImprov's Margot Elizabeth Meyers who wrote of his "assiduous bowing" and "richly brewed tone." Or find him at Manhattan's Tonic with downtown scene trombonist Steve Swell and drummer Barry Altschul, or catch him on a European tour with free jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle. Hilliard Greene released his first solo CD album, "Alone, " in 2003, a group of art songs, mostly his own compositions, drawing from classical, folk, and jazz themes, called "a riveting hour plus of material, " by Boston Globe critic Steve Greenlee. James Forte of Wildflower Publishers, producers of the recording, noted, "He is a real virtuoso. Hearing this album, we can all say we could just never have imagined the bass as a solo instrument that is wholly absorbing..." Longtime musical director of the New York-based trio, the Jazz Expressions, Hilliard Greene will continue on with this group that includes T.K. Blue and Dwayne Broadnax. The band's third and most recent CD, "On the Road, " garnered these words from John Hoglund of Backstage who wrote, "For anyone who appreciates top-notch jazz symmetry, it doesn't get much better." A master of the solo bass performance, Hilliard Greene has also increased the number of recitals he's performed recently and looks forward to more. Recent concerts include venues in New York City, Boston, and Buenos Aires. "Intense. Powerful. Versatile. Not for the faint hearted, " Bass World, Journal for the International Society of Bassists describes Mr. Greene's playing. He will continue to teach at NYC's prestigious Bass Collective where he's been a faculty member since 1997. In addition to his long career with Jimmy Scott, Hilliard Greene was concert master for Cecil Taylor's Phtongos, and has performed and/or recorded with many other artists and groups including Dave Douglas, Don Pullen, Rashid Ali, Bobby Watson, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Kenny Barron, Greg Osby, the Inkspots, and Gloria Lynne. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |