feature photo: William Brown
You know with a fair amount of certainty what you’re going to get with a Posi-Tone record: crisp musicianship, energetic swing and graceful ballads, imbued with soul and played with acoustic instruments, typically by guys (and gals) who are approaching the peak of their careers. They are sharp composers, study at the highest regarded music conservatories and learn from seasoned vets, names you’ve likely heard of.
Theo Hill is a pianist who checks all those boxes, and the just-released Reality Check is his third go-around for the label best described as the closest thing to the classic Blue Note brand (not the one currently being run by Don Was) of the 21st century. Continuing a move into electronic keyboards started on his second album Interstellar Adventures, Reality Check sees Hill adding a bright young vibraphonist in Joel Ross while holding over bassist Rahsaan Carter and bringing back Mark Whitfield Jr. on drums. Furthermore, Hill presents another originals-dominant set of songs after his 2017 debut Promethean went nearly all-covers.
Hill shows himself to be equally comfortable with keyboards plugged and unplugged. “Swell” has the chiming sound of an electric piano and the taut electric bass of Carter. But Whitfield anchors the song firmly in the acoustic tradition, as does Hill’s serpentine melody. And Ross is there to close the deal; there is absolutely no selling out here. Carter stays on electric bass for “Guardians Of Light” and keeps things a little funky but Hill on piano does a remarkable job comping behind Ross then stepping forward with his own commanding asides.
Stevie Wonder’s “Superwoman” tests Theo Hill’s acumen as an interpreter of pop songs, and he rises up to the challenges by having Whitfield and Carter insert a funky rhythm underneath that doesn’t mess with the flow of the song, and the leader liberally swaps Rhodes with piano to keep pushing the song forward. “Song Of The Wind” has the most contemporary sound of this collection but Hill didn’t dilute throttle back on the depth of his composing in order to accommodate the electric keyboard and once again, Ross’s vibes is also there to keep the song grounded to the urbanity of jazz.
When Theo Hill chooses the all-acoustic format, his Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Kirkland inspirations really shine through. Hill takes the waltz “Aquanaut” and pours fire into it with no small help from Whitfield. Whitfield launches Miller’s “Pressing The Issue” with a brief drum solo and settles right into a sprightly swing as the rest of the crew join in one by one with Hill and Ross going on an incendiary bop excursion. “Mantra” is sometimes a rumba and sometimes a swing that steadily builds up momentum with everyone in the quartet playing on overdrive. “Scene Changes” is an ardent ballad that has all the markings of a timeless classic cover but it’s all Hill’s.
Joel Ross is called a ‘rising star’ (he bowed with his first album last year on the actual Blue Note label) but he sounds like he’s already arrived when hearing him summoning up Bobby Hutcherson’s ghosts on “Blue Poles.” Ross gets a considerable intro that states Hill’s main theme of “Afrofuturism”, and then the rest of the group kicks off another, connected motif which is full of interesting harmonic twists and rhythmic turns for Whitfield. A subtle synth backdrop gently etches out the shape of the melody, freeing up Hill’s piano to delve into the delicious details of it.
Theo Hill is advancing his craft forcefully, a positive sign of creative restlessness. Some credit also goes out to Posi-Tone for hanging with him as he experiments with his sound while still making music to enjoy and contemplate.
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