Robert Hill: Press

...As if folks hadn’t already gotten their money money’s worth, our featured act of the night, Robert Hill and his band mates just blew us away. Accompanied by the superb journeyman bassist Mark Murphy and the talented Joanne (what a set of pipes) Lediger lending supporting vocals, Bob mesmerized us with his unique slide guitar technique and baritone voice, slipping flawlessly from steamroller blues to acoustic ballad and back again. The author was particularly impressed by his intermingling of what were almost ethereal instrumentals (his stand up bassist employing a bow to enhance the effect).. In contrast were the barrelhouse blues numbers where Ms. Lediger’s vocals were a standout. It seemed that each number literally brought the house down.

"Hill's aggressive slide playing over a rough-and-ready backing track makes us want to slam down some moonshine and start a ballroom blitz. It's intense and relentless, and Hill's slide tone is fat, edgy and fabulous."
Guitar Player magazine
June 2009

I was fortunate to win First Place, with my instrumental, "Slide On Rye", in a co-sponsored contest by Guitar Player and Broadjam, showcasing outstanding guitar playing.
It was an international competition with winners also from the U.S., The Russian Federation, Argentina, and Brazil.

North Little Rock native Robert Hill played in numerous Arkansas groups, including party band The Blue Mambas, before moving to New York many years ago. There, he honed his skills with NYC band The Bluesicians before forming the first incarnation of the Robert Hill Band in the 1990s and releasing the band’s self-titled debut CD to good reviews. Eventually, Hill moved to a stripped-down acoustic power-duo with drummer Jerry Krenach which played around the NYC metro area for a number of years, eventually welcoming in Mark Murphy on upright bass. Recently, the band has been joined by Art Labriola on keyboards, accordian and pedal steel, and Joanne Lediger on vocals. Hill describes the band as a “musical volcano.”

“Think Mount St. Helens, but a lot more fun,” he says, crediting much of that sound to his Arkansas roots – an area which he says “possesses a unique gumbo of musical styles: urban and deep Delta blues, bluegrass, oldtime country, zydeco, ragtime, cowpunk, gospel, even a polka or two in spots. When you mix it all together, they just call it rock and roll.”

The band has opened for Levon Helm, John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Chris Smither, Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown, The Tony Trischka Band, Rick Danko, Rory Block, Debbie Davies, and many others.

Hill’s song, "Long Rain," was used in a Smirnoff Ice commercial that aired during the 2002 Super Bowl. His instrumental "Slide On Rye" was used in an episode of the TV series, “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy.” Hill also composed the soundtrack for an award-winning PBS film documentary, "Burley," the story of a North Carolina tobacco farmer.

Excellent write-up by Jack Hill,(no relation). With a humorous recollection or two, this article ties some interesting background info with current musical endeavors and achievements by the guitarist/singer/songwriter. Well worth reading!

" While we’re talking about local musicians’ musicians, singersongwriter-guitarist Robert Hill has lived in New York for the past 20 years, but he grew up in North Little Rock and still draws on the state for inspiration. His excellent blues album My Corner (SOR, $12.97) — which features some fantastic acoustic guitar work as well as Hill’s crafty rootsy originals — has been in rotation in my car for a couple of months now.
(The CD’s packaging deserves a mention: Hill says the sepiatone photograph that adorns the front cover is of his father as a boy, circa 1930, outside a Hot Springs barbecue stand. The back cover photograph dates from the early 1900s; it’s of Hill’s grandfather in the doorway of his Pine Bluff advertising company.)"

"Rainbow Come Down On Me; Mix Myself a Perfect Dream."

I'd heard the opening track "My Corner" before I received this beautiful CD to review. I was struck by how the harmonica solo at the end of the song really managed to paint a picture of the narrator. When I heard that solo in my imagination I could see this lost and tired man dancing on a dark street, a bottle in his hand and his eyes turned towards the heavens. Oftentimes when songwriters attempt to tackle the lost characters in society they either over- dramatize or only brush the surface. Robert Hill puts flesh on the bones of society's underdogs in his songs. Whether he's writing about a tragic homeless guy, a simple country woman, or the children of Liberia, Hill shines light on the humanity of the characters in his songs, reminding us that we are all related. Listening to the CD I see the world through the characters' eyes and feel it through their hearts. The music and production never get in the way of the story, and there's an interesting mix of modern and old-timey sounds. Musically the songs incorporate influences from the entire range of this wonderfully colorful music called Americana. Hill's guitar, resonator, and harmonica playing shine without getting in the way of the songs, and the CD even includes two instrumentals "Smokestack," and "Forbidden Fruit," which we'll probably be hearing during the closing credits of a movie by this time next year. All around "My Corner" is an honest, hopeful, reckless adventure in what it is to be human. Stand-out tracks for me are "Blessed Dream," one of my favorite new songs in several years, "Smokestack," and the closing song "Washing Away."

Hill's 1999 self-titled debut was an electric affair, a solid blues-rock effort with two or three songs displaying a penchant for Middle Eastern-accented arrangements á la Led Zeppelin or Derek Trucks. For his sophomore outing, the award-winning Arkansas singer/songwriter/guitarist takes a folk-rock route, choosing largely acoustic arrangements.

The emphasis this time is on storytelling. There's the autobiographical "Another Chapter," about love found, lost and regained; the tributary "Angelina"; the reflective "Different Faiths"; the biopic "Country Soul"; and the condemnatory "First to Fight."

There are instrumentals ("Smokestack" and "Forbidden Fruit") and even one of those Zeppelinesque tunes ("Blessed Dream"). But what really hits home is the tear-jerker title track, told from the point of view of a man relating how he came to be homeless.

Tying it all together is Hill's authoritative guitar work, including occasional Dobro and mandolin and plenty of slide. Support work by pedal steel guitarist Bob Hoffnar and background singer Joanne Lediger (Stir Fried, McMule) top it all off nicely.

His latest CD, My Corner, celebrates the appropriation of Roots/Rock
in much the same way as an aged bourbon mellows in it's seasoned oak
barrel... with character, earthy presence and persistence. This CD should be enjoyed by all who find pleasure in fine guitar picking, smooth vocals and
gutsy ballads.

The colleagues from Guitar Player praised Robert Hill’s "impressive slide technique" and they don’t do such ratings without good reason. And indeed, Robert Hill, who was born in North Little Rock, Arkansas, has a lot to offer with his acoustic as well as with the electric slide guitar. But that isn’t all. Robert Hill tells stories and he does so with an intensive and rock influenced voice. Blues and roots-rock are the main specialties in the oeuvre of Robert Hill who can be heard live mainly in the New York area. One seems to find influences from Little Feat to Lynyrd Skynyrd. But Hill keeps the blues always in sight, reminds of Chris Whitley’s melodic times as well as John Hiatt. On this album, he is accompanied by powerful musicians that fit perfectly into the concept. On the instrumental "Slide on Rye" Hill sounds like Sonny Landreth did in his best moments. Another very good song is "Workingman’s Curse", that lasts for nearly eight minutes and could have been written by Bruce Springsteen. People who like honest roots rock must have this album!

Guitarist/singer/songwriter Robert Hill's self-titled CD is a dynamite listening experience that's an amalgam of rockin' blues, southern-fried slide work and roots rock. Featuring his subtly brilliant slide guitar work, the CD offers two excellent instrumentals, "Ozark Passage", with its live-in-the-room-sounding acoustic slide, bowed bass (courtesy of Matt Gruenberg and driving groove, and "Slide On Rye", a four minute plus, sinuous electric slide charged rave in which Hill gets to play over Keith Cotton's rousing piano accompaniment. A third instrumental, "Crater Of Diamonds", closes the CD, and is no less entertaining, with its moody, lyrical, and sometimes snaky, electric slide leads dominating the piece. Of course, Hill is also a strong and impassioned vocalist, delivering his lyrics with the conviction of someone who walks the walk. Among the standout vocal tracks is the almost eight minute "Workingman's Curse", with its funk-meets-blues solo passage and poignant message. If you've enjoyed music from bands such as Little Feat or artists such as John Hiatt, you'll delight in discovering Hill - who should not remain 'Undiscovered' for long.

"Versatile guitarist who uses layering, tone, texture and good taste to keep the listener riveted. Good singer, mean slide player- here's to more efforts like this from Hill."

"A sparkling effort that shows his immense talent as a slide guitarist. Hill's music draws from the Little Feat and Radiators mold, and it stands favorably with those great artists. There's a funky Feat feel to "Rose City" and the passionate "Sweet Salvation," while he rips up a slide storm in the rollicking instrumentals, "Slide On Rye" and "Crater Of Diamonds." The best cut, though, is the eight minute "Workingman's Curse," which has Hill stretching out with some dazzling playing."

"Robert Hill's impressive slide technique draws liberally from the late Lowell George of Little Feat (with a little Ry on the side) on an original tune called 'Slide on Rye.' "