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Theo Hill has emerged as one of the top young voices in jazz piano, and has been hailed by Step
Tempest as “a daring musician who is continually creative, willing to take chances with the tradition
without being sacrilegious.”
For the keyboardist’s latest recording Interstellar Adventures (2018 Posi-Tone), Hill is joined by
Rashaan Carter on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. Together this trio takes the listener through a
wide spectrum of styles and sounds with Hill’s brilliant original compositions and arrangements
of tunes from some of his most influential musicians. This is Hill’s second record for Posi-Tone and
follows the 2017 release, Promethean. Hill released his debut album, Theo Hill Quartet Live at
Smalls in 2015. Hill is also on the piano chair for the successful release by New Faces titled
Straight Forward. This group of Posi-Tone leaders brings the spirit of the label to record.
Born in Albany, New York, Hill began to study classical piano with Taubman Technique specialist
Mary Moran at the age of five. Gravitating toward jazz piano at age twelve, Hill began studying
with Lee Shaw. By age sixteen, Hill was performing at clubs in the tri-city area and made his first
New York City appearance sitting in at Smalls Jazz Club. He was accepted into the Jazz Conservatory
at SUNY Purchase where he studied jazz piano with Charles Blenzig and Hal Galper. After
graduating cum laude in 2004 he moved to New York City to immerse himself in the vibrant jazz
culture.
In addition to performing at all the major jazz clubs in NYC, Hill has performed across the U.S., as
well as international appearances in Australia, Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Germany,
Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Qatar, Romania, South Korea, South Africa,
Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. As a sideman, Hill has had the opportunity to perform
with Jeff "Tain" Watts, Charles Tolliver, Wallace Roney, Jeremy Pelt, Bobby Watson, Victor Bailey,
Lenny White, Roy Ayers, Harvey Mason, Frank Lacy, Essiet Essiet, Victor Jones, Bill Saxton, J.D
Allen, Tim Green, Willie Jones III, Curtis Lundy, David Weiss, Carmen Lundy, Gregory Porter as
well as many other master musicians. Hill has performed with The Charles Tolliver Big Band, The
Captain Black Big Band, The Josh Evans Big Band and is currently a member of The Mingus Big
Band and Mingus Dynasty band. He has also performed or recorded with Eddie
Henderson, Nicholas Payton, Josh Evans, Dave Liebman, Vincent Herring, Steve Wilson, Marcus
Strickland, Stacy Dillard, Logan Richardson, Gerald Cannon, "Burniss" Earl Travis, Ben Williams,
Lewis Nash, Ralph Peterson, Winard Harper, E.J. Strickland, Marcus Gilmore, Obed Calvaire and
Justin Brown. Hill also conducts master classes, teaches privately, and works as a private lesson
instructor at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and at the Collective School of Music.
One of Hill’s passions outside of jazz is surfing, and he enjoys time in Costa Rica and the adventures
it offers.
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