Judith Hill Kicks Off 25th Anniversary of PCL Blues

Aug 17

Aug 17 Judith Hill Kicks Off 25th Anniversary of PCL Blues

Arts Commons Presents, Elevating Your Experience

There are many things Judith Hill is known for — she collaborated with Prince and duetted with Michael Jackson; she gained international acclaim on season four of The Voice; she starred in the GRAMMY Award-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom. But in actuality, the most noteworthy thing about Judith Hill is that she makes good music.

Really good music.

Touching on everything from rock to soul, funk, blues, and myriad genres in between, Hill's dynamic voice brings depth to every single one of them. Such versatility is expounded on tracks like Americana, where she not only explores the range of her musical style but of her own identity. Growing up the daughter of a Black bassist and Japanese pianist in California was a challenging combination in the melting pot that is the United States.

"I wanted to express different parts of my identity — everything from my Japanese heritage to my African heritage — and show all of these characters and identities interacting with each other and the solidarity and camaraderie that they have in trying to figure out what it means to be a woman of color in America. Which in my experience, is always feeling displaced and feeling like I don’t have a tribe that I can really, truly belong to and also feeling that it’s an unsafe place for all of the reasons we know," she says in an interview with Atwood Magazine. "Showing those identities and how they interact in the video was really powerful in speaking to the hardships of minority communities and how capitalism plays a big role in suppressing communities. It’s first come first serve and for the disenfranchised, it’s feast or famine and so you see these characters struggling to figure out how to be in America."

Hill's latest album Baby, I'm Hollywood! sees a crescendo of funk and soul in the tracks that steer away from the minimalist trend seen in recent years.

"I’ve always personally loved the traditions of classic live music and hearing parts for the bass and the guitars and hearing the groups coming together in a certain way. I also love the energy of real powerful music that stretches out into larger spaces."

Some aficionados may even notice a hint of Billy Preston influence. That's because Hill's father, Robert Lee "Pee Wee" Hill, was the bassist for Preston's band. Hill regularly found the pianist around the house growing up, a novelty that didn't fully hit until years later.

So what can you expect from Judith Hill when she comes to Calgary this fall? Well, for one you can trust she won't be holding back.

“I’m ready to tell my story. Ready to talk about things in my world that have always been there but under the façade of Hollywood or show business. This album feels almost dangerous because I’m really emotionally naked on this album. It’s my decision now to open up to people,” she tells SPIN.

After years of being diluted through the fame of others, Hill is taking back her narrative and telling it the best way she knows how: through soul-searing, heartfelt, original music. And with stage presence to match her conviction, her performances in Calgary are guaranteed to spark a whole new swath of devotees.