Lisa Hilton at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall January 17, 2014

Previous recap: June 2011
Later recaps: January 2015, January 2016, January 2018, January 2019

Last night marked the second time I saw jazz pianist Lisa Hilton perform.  The first time was about 2 1/2 years ago in Greenwich Village (see link above).  This time, I was uptown at Carnegie Hall‘s Weill Recital Hall.  It was my first time ever at Carnegie.

My journey began at around 4PM, when I left home to walk to the Wantagh LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) station for a 4:27 Penn Station-bound train.  I would have taken a later train, but I wanted to be safe in case any delays popped up during my walk to the station.  That’s what happened the day before when I had to take a train to Rockville Centre.  But even though there were delays earlier in the day, there were none when I arrived.  My trip to Penn Station was smooth sailing.  No one sat near me after Freeport.  It was a peaceful journey as I took in the sights while listening to my iPod, not a noisy one where I’m surrounded by chatter from people of varying ages.  (The ride back was somewhat crowded, but not too noisy.  And it helps to have studio headphones.)

I was in a railcar near the back of the train, which meant I needed to walk a little extra from the train to the LIRR Terminal.  Once there, I had dinner at TGI Friday’s.  Then, I walked up to the subway terminal and took the E train uptown to 7th Avenue and West 53rd Street.  The second I emerged from the seemingly endless flights of stairs, I saw the Ed Sullivan Theater, home to the CBS late night talk show, The Late Show with David Letterman.  I whipped out my Nikon D5100 and took a picture:

I was fortunate enough to attend a taping with my father back in December 2004, but that’s another story.

I arrived at Carnegie Hall just before 7PM.  Since photography wasn’t allowed during Lisa’s performance, these outside pictures will have to do:

Thinking that the time when the doors to the hall are opened was the time to go inside, I waited outside the Weill Recital Hall entrance for 15 minutes.  Two couples went inside while I was waiting.  Finally, I opened the door and asked if I was allowed to come in.  Of course, I was.  I got my ticket, went up to the lounge adjacent to the hall, and waited for the hall doors to open.

According to my watch, I took my seat at 7:42.  The Weill Recital Hall was not what I was expecting.  It was an intimate hall with one row of orchestra seats, where I sat, and a balcony behind them.  There were three chandeliers on the ceiling; my seat was between two of them.

The hall was completely acoustic.  There were no speakers, no engineer, no amplification, nothing of the kind.  I was in for a unique experience.

Lisa entered at 8:06, joined by Ben Street on upright acoustic bass and Billy Hart on drums.  Lisa played a Steinway & Sons piano.

The set primarily featured music from her upcoming album, Kaleidoscope.  Here’s what the set looked like:
1. Kaleidoscope
2. Whispered Confessions – This one was my favorite.
3. Midnight Mania
4. Bach/Basie/Bird: Boogie Blues Bop
5. Sunny Side Up
6. Blue Horizon
7. Stepping Into Paradise – This was a solo piano piece.  Ben and Billy left the stage and took a break.  They returned for the rest of the set.
8. Getaway – This was another favorite.
9. Subway
10. When It Rains
11. Evening Song
12. So This Is Love

“Getaway” and “Evening Song” are from Getaway (2013).  “Subway” and “When It Rains” are from American Impressions (2012).  “So This Is Love” is from My Favorite Things (2005).
“Getaway” was first performed on Seduction (1997) and in a slightly slower tempo on In the Mood for Jazz (2003).  “Evening Song” also debuted on Seduction.  “Stepping Into Paradise” originated on Getaway.

After the show, I caught up with Lisa in the lounge, and even got to meet her daughter Fiona.  Fiona was nice enough to take our picture:

My original plan for returning to Penn Station involving taking the M7 MTA New York City Bus back to 34th Street and walking to the LIRR Terminal from there.  But when I got to the bus stop, I had a clear view of Times Square.  I could see the Jumbotron, which still had up the “2014” sign, complete with the New Year’s ball frozen in place above it.  Forget the bus, I thought.  I’m walking back and taking pictures.  And I did:

42nd Street Subway Station:

My last two pictures of the night came at the LIRR Terminal entrance:

I initially boarded the wrong train: an express that didn’t stop at Wantagh.  Luckily, I was able to grab all my belongings quickly and exit the train (thanks to the doors not closing right away).  I quickly found the right train on a different track and barely boarded that one in time.  I was bound for home, capping a memorable night.  I opened my eyes and ears to a new experience and I enjoyed it.  Thank you, Lisa, Ben, and Billy.