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Hill Collective: Tonal Prophecy

By Chris May
June 3, 2024
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The eight-piece Hill Collective hails from deep space via Brighton, a town an hour's train ride from London on Britain's south coast. In the contradictory way of many so-called collectives, it appears to have a leader, the alto saxophonist and composer/arranger

Pete Piskov

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Pete Piskov. But Piskov is there to marshal the madness not to repress it.

Tonal Prophecy is the ensemble's first studio album. It comes with resonances of

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus,

Sun Ra

piano
1914 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Sun Ra,

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman and the long gone but not forgotten magnificence of Rip Rig & Panic (featuring

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry's daughter

Neneh Cherry

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Neneh Cherry), a punk-jazz outfit from Bristol, another British coastal town. Generically there are Latin jazz mutations, the wilder shores of bop and free improv freak-outs. Along for the ride, too, is the Grand Unison Choir, nineteen friends of Hill Collective, who chant, chortle, sing and scream responses to the music.

If all this sounds anarchic, well, it is and it is not. It is more focused than Hill Collective's live performances appear to be, at least on the evidence of the YouTube below. It is also painted on a bigger textural canvas than the YouTube performance: Piskov fronts trumpeter

Phil Smith

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Smith, trombonist

Will Roberts

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Will Roberts, harpist

JoJo Circle

harp

" data-original-title="" title="">JoJo Circle, pianist

luke congdon

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">luke congdon, bassist Frederico Micheli, drummer

Joe Edwards

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Edwards and percussionist Sudhi S Pooniyil, making good use of the available sonic range.

The music is raw and it comes with the sort of energy and good vibes that gladden the heart.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Understanding; Value of Novelty; Health and Virtue; Answer to Two Questions; Dogma Loves You; Duality; Fear and Transcendence; A Joyous Sound.

Personnel

Hill Collective

band / ensemble / orchestra

Pete Piskov

saxophone, alto

Joe Edwards

drums

Federico Micheli

bass

luke congdon

piano

Will Roberts

trombone

Phil Smith

trumpet

Sudhi Pooniyil

percussion

JoJo Circle

harp

Additional Instrumentation

Pete Piskov: composer, alto saxophone, flute; Will Roberts: trombone, valve trombone; Grand Unison Choir (Gina Boyle, Jamie Broughton, Milo Costelloe, Oceanmae Davis, Edward Deeney, Noah Fox, Oscar Godfrey, Tom Gregory, Fae Haley, Rose Io, Tamara Kl��ver, Edmund Lloyd-Winder, Constance Nash, Ed Prideaux, Zosia Szymanowska, Joss Trevena-Samson, James Virtue, Freddie Willatt, Tam Zin).

Album information

Title: Tonal Prophecy | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Fin Du Monde

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