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Griffith Hiltz Trio: This Is What You Get...

By Dan McClenaghan
September 8, 2013
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Griffith Hiltz Trio: This Is What You Get...

Canada's Griffith Hiltz Trio opens its second album, This Is What You Get..., with "Strawman," which sounds like a cross between a theme song for a Secret Agent Man movie and crunchy guitar-style, 1960s-era surf rock, featuring saxophonist

Johnny Griffith

saxophone
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Griffith's crisp melody lines and drummer

Sly Juhas

" data-original-title="" title="">Sly Juhas' shuffling rhythm. Then guitarist

Nathan Hiltz

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Nathan Hiltz twangs toward an atmosphere of the movie Deliverance (1972) by plunking into a back country banjo groove. Strong sounds to open a strong recording.

"The Kuleshascope" blends heavy metal Black Sabbath doom with Griffith's airy—like those of saxophonist

Joe Henderson

saxophone
1937 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Henderson—lines inside a tight rhythm. Then it's back to a segment of doom, leading into the soulful "For Otis," a nod to R&B legend

Otis Redding

vocals
1941 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Otis Redding. It's a laidback groove of a tune that showcases Hiltz's crisp chording and bluesy single notes.

"Steppin' Out" comes out of alto saxophonist

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman's mode of simple but captivating melodies, while "Bone Arm" soothes the soul with a modal groove.

The title tune is highly danceable, and sounds as if the players are having a fine time. Griffith breaks out the bass clarinet on "The Rainbow Connection, " a turn with a "lost in a trippy dream" feeling.

The Griffin Hiltz Trio—which sounds more like a quartet, thanks to guitarist Hiltz' use of bass pedals—has an upbeat, party-time feeling, made by virtuosic players who seems to find nothing wrong with having a good time with their music.

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Track Listing

Stawman; The Kuleshascope; For Otis; MGM; Steppin' Out; Bone Arm; Port Hillford Railway; This is What You Get; The Rainbow Connection; Movie Theme--Condor and Squid.

Personnel

Johnny Griffith: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Nathan Hiltz: electric guitar, bass pedals; Sly Juhas: drums.

Album information

Title: This Is What You Get... | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Self Produced

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