It seems fitting that the cover of Lisa Hilton’s latest album has her holding on to her hat, because that is what she’s doing on her most assertive album to date. The pianist is in a quartet setting with Kenny Dorham-inspired trumpeter Igmar Thomas, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Obed Calvaire, and while there are still moments of Hilton’s signature impressionistic concepts, this album kicks up the butanes with Hilton’s fingers flexed throughout.
There’s a tensile swing to the droplets of notes on a take of “Birk’s Works”, with Thomas squeezing out notes over Calvaire’s hip high hat, while Hilton digs in under the fluffy brass on “Fast Time Blues”. There’s a series of volleys between Hilton and Thomas as they long board over the nifty groove of “Blues Vagabond” while Hilton’s fingers do a feather dance on the dance floor with Thomas giving a serenade on “Cha Cha A’La Cart”.
In a trio setting, Hilton is nimble over Calvaire’s shuffling obstacle course of “Night Cap & A Little Chaos” and she hovers with a dark intro on the lurking “Mediterranean”. Her Debussy’d touch is still there, as on the pretty “What The World Needs Now” with a muted Thomas and a sunset glowing “Paradise Cove”. Paradise Cove? Maybe more like Muscle Beach!