Griffith Hiltz Trio
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | INDIE
Music
Press
GRIFFITH HILTZ TRIO/This is What You Get: It's sounds like the Canadian contingent of the Hot Cup gang have checked in. Left leaning, free jazz for white people that have never been to the church basement, this crew plays on the corner of where jazz meets jam band. While the sparks and the fur is flying, this is what hipster sounds like when you take it out of Brooklyn. With a load of influences and elements on board to make anyone feel at home, moldy figs might not understand it, but this is music of now. Well done. - Chris Spektor
GRIFFITH HILTZ TRIO/This is What You Get: It's sounds like the Canadian contingent of the Hot Cup gang have checked in. Left leaning, free jazz for white people that have never been to the church basement, this crew plays on the corner of where jazz meets jam band. While the sparks and the fur is flying, this is what hipster sounds like when you take it out of Brooklyn. With a load of influences and elements on board to make anyone feel at home, moldy figs might not understand it, but this is music of now. Well done. - Chris Spektor
"the griffith hiltz trio are gifted composers and musicians.  the tunes are musical and though reverential, are a fresh take on a vintage art form.  from nathan's unbelievable skill as both the guitarist and bass player, to johnny's melodicism and warm, classic tone these guys are making great, modern classic jazz music!" - Hawksley Workman
This band may be a trio in body, but it's so much more in spirit and sound. Guitarist Nathan Hiltz, multi-reedist Johnny Griffithand drummer Sly Juhas make up a single entity that expands and contracts at will, occasionally coming off as a legitimate sounding quintet or breaking away in various duo contexts; they completely obfuscate the very idea of the trio, and that's a wonderful thing.
Hiltz is the secret weapon, contributing to the size identity crisis by tearing it up with guitar in hand, covering bass parts with foot pedals, and adding some banjo-esque banter when appropriate ("Strawman"). He covers more ground than anybody else in the group and he sounds damn good doing it; he can shred, slice-and-dice, or simply seduce. Griffith could technically be considered the front man here, riding high over his rhythmically rooted band mates, but nobody really outshines anybody else.
The musical topics addressed on This Is What You Get... are many and varied. "The Kuleshascope," for example, admittedly addresses the work of Anton Webern, Black Sabbath, and more, as the band works with a twelve tone row and makes cuts between weighty statements and nimble swing. "For Otis" finds the trio tapping into a soul outlet while tipping their collective cap to Otis Redding, "Steppin' Out" sits squarely in theOrnette Coleman camp, and the title track, driven by a simple and catchy bass line and backbeat, owes a debt of gratitude to the Seattle grunge movement.
While different influences pop up throughout the program, the music itself moves beyond them. Even the lone cover—a celestial re-imagining of "The Rainbow Connection"—stands apart from its origins. People intimately familiar with the tune may not even recognize it, as Griffith's bass clarinet and Hiltz's guitar transform the piece into something less shaped but equally beautiful.
The Griffith Hiltz Trio tapped producer/multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson to produce its debut—Now And Then (Self Released, 2009)—but the band went in a different direction when it came time for this one: they enlisted the services of Hawksley Workman, a singer-songwriter-producer who's manned the helm in the studio for acts like Tegan and Sara, Serena Ryder, and Great Big Sea. Workman's production credits don't really tie him to the jazz world, so it initially seems odd that he's on board for this one, but it quickly becomes apparent that his work outside of jazz made him the perfect producer for this album; this band wanted to be pushed out of its comfort zone and Workman did the pushing. The end result is a joy to hear, so kudos to all of these risktakers.
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.
Record Label: Self Produced
- Dan Bilawsky - All About Jazz
…a delightful listen. It doesn't really fit any genre nor is it in a timewarp. It's the music of the past - it's the music of tomorrow played today.
Griffith blows gutsy, almost rock tenor, mellow alto and bass clarinet that could have been BG if he'd been born later and opted for bass clarinet. Guitarist Hiltz operates the bass pedalboard as good as some organ players I've heard and his guitar playing offers extra support as well as solos that swing in both a contemporary and a traditional manner. Sly Juhas' playing is vital capturing the varying moods and responding accordingly.
By
Lance Liddle,
Published: September 3, 2013
- Lance Liddle - Bebopspokenhere.com
Forward-leaning, nail-biting jazz, addressed with bold innovation, excitement and originality; delivered by a trio of brazen musicians with boundless talent, and genre-spiraling ideas. Hardly the types of cats you'd observe in the 'musical gym' ambling around, sneaking peeks at themselves in the mirrors lining the walls.
Putting honest spit and shine to the awareness that good jazz always will be appealing, Griffith Hiltz Trio finds a dynamic 'collective voice' that departs from the mainstream to establish a sonic footprint of melody, harmony, and form, more redolent of a well-honed sextet; a more accurate descriptor, in light of Johnny Griffith's fearsome multi-instrumental dexterity, plus Nathan Hiltz's electric guitar wizardry, and simultaneous 'sleight of foot' bass pedals; and the indispensable purveyor of precise timing, drummer Sly Juhas. A group of seekers unified by a cooperative of extraordinary composing skills, forged into a solid brand intent on establishing singular cutting edge status.
The Griffith Hiltz Trio, is a band, first and foremost, of first rate musicians/composers. Their approach to jazz music is daring, innovative, modern. They respectfully eschew the mainstream, in favor of bending the genre almost to breaking point, and letting their inner selves come through. Their music possesses a subtle power, and true grit that emerge with the inspiration gained from the influences of Ellington, through Ornette Coleman, and Otis Redding to Black Sabbath. So,this is what you get. Hold on. It may be a long wonderful ride.
By
C.J. Bond,
Published: September 14, 2013
- C.J. Bond - jazmusic.com
Forward-leaning, nail-biting jazz, addressed with bold innovation, excitement and originality; delivered by a trio of brazen musicians with boundless talent, and genre-spiraling ideas. Hardly the types of cats you'd observe in the 'musical gym' ambling around, sneaking peeks at themselves in the mirrors lining the walls.
Putting honest spit and shine to the awareness that good jazz always will be appealing, Griffith Hiltz Trio finds a dynamic 'collective voice' that departs from the mainstream to establish a sonic footprint of melody, harmony, and form, more redolent of a well-honed sextet; a more accurate descriptor, in light of Johnny Griffith's fearsome multi-instrumental dexterity, plus Nathan Hiltz's electric guitar wizardry, and simultaneous 'sleight of foot' bass pedals; and the indispensable purveyor of precise timing, drummer Sly Juhas. A group of seekers unified by a cooperative of extraordinary composing skills, forged into a solid brand intent on establishing singular cutting edge status.
The Griffith Hiltz Trio, is a band, first and foremost, of first rate musicians/composers. Their approach to jazz music is daring, innovative, modern. They respectfully eschew the mainstream, in favor of bending the genre almost to breaking point, and letting their inner selves come through. Their music possesses a subtle power, and true grit that emerge with the inspiration gained from the influences of Ellington, through Ornette Coleman, and Otis Redding to Black Sabbath. So,this is what you get. Hold on. It may be a long wonderful ride.
By
C.J. Bond,
Published: September 14, 2013
- C.J. Bond - jazmusic.com
…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's crisp melody lines and drummer Sly Juhas' shuffling rhythm. Then guitarist 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 Griffith 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…
- Dan McClenaghan
The sophomore release from the Griffith Hiltz Trio is aptly titled This Is What You Get and...it is. Genre lines are blurred as a melodic sense of urgency runs the spectrum from surf influenced sounds to that of what some might refer to as “metal-lite.” What you get is an amalgam of influences that will have most critics scratching their collective heads and most label executives and publicists perched on the nearest ledge which at times is not necessarily a bad thing.
Creativity here is off the charts, no one sound predominates while maintaining an incredibly engaging ebb and flow throughout the release. Having often said labels are for cans of soup this formidable trio hammers the point home while walking an organic harmonic tightrope on an incredibly windy day.
Solid compositions that are well thought out and developed seal the deal and avoid the sophomore slump that so often hammers ensembles such as this. This is post modern improvisational music for a thoroughly modern world.
- Brent Black - bopnjazz.com
"They're Killer! Their Music fits in perfectly with what's happening in the world today" - Bill King, eJazz radio and Director od The Beached Jazz Festival
Johnny Griffith and Nathan Hiltz have uncommon telepathy. They write memorable themes, rooted in the blues and bop, and they rock freely on them, playing off one another with total confidence. They surprise their listeners but not one another. Their music has roots, but it is the music of now." - Jack Chambers, author of Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles David
"Now & Then" Selected as #1 Album of 2009 by Toronto's Jazz FM 91.1 - Jazz FM 91.1
Discography
This Is What You Get...(2013)
GHT Plays Pop EP (2013)
Now and Then (2009)
Griffith Hiltz Trio EP (2007)
Photos
Bio
GHT and Hawksley Workman
collide on this head banging, pelvic-grinding, soft-shoeing, hippy tripping, soul-soothing, make out session of sweet sounds.
“This is What You Get...” when long time friends and collaborators Johnny Griffith and Nathan Hiltz move their risk-taking style in a genre warping direction with their 2nd album. Shaping their departure from mainstream jazz is indie music hero and madman Hawksley Workman. With 6 Juno nominations and 2 wins, a solo rock cabaret and countless producing successes, his eclectic sensibilities were a natural fit. Hawksley insisted on recording live to tape, sacrificing the convenience and editing power of digital for the darker, richer sound of analogue. Fuelled by popsicles and good wine, GHT, focused on the overall feel of the songs. The result is a vibrant and honest recording that engages the listener wholeheartedly.
GHT begins rooted in tradition and launches into the unexpected appealing to more than just your average jazz listener. They’ve rallied impromptu dance parties with hippies on Salt Spring Island, elated elementary school students and festival audiences from St. John’s to the Yukon. They incorporate influences from Duke Ellington to Otis Redding, from Ornette Coleman to Black Sabbath, from Webern to Kermit the Frog, blending them seamlessly into a purely enjoyable ride. Prepare yourself for some rock and roll raunch, classic post-bop, and one of the catchiest pop tunes you’ll ever hear.
Hearing GHT’s music is only one aspect of their considerable talents. Taking the term ‘mulit-tasking’ to the extreme, each member masterfully contributes on numerous instruments to produce a sound much larger than your average trio... even if it means playing more than one instrument at once! Nathan expertly synchronizes his seductive guitar styling while driving steadfast time feel with socked feet across the bass pedals. Johnny arms himself with every horn in the arsenal – sometimes simultaneously – building intricate and climbing melodies. Together they prove there is no limit to their imagination. Drummer Sly Juhas is in high demand across the country and expertly moves between jazz, country and indie scenes. Sly’s high octane playing rounds out the trio’s demanding and energetic groove. Simply put – they have to be seen to be believed!
GHT’s debut album “Now and Then”, was produced by and featured Canadian Jazz virtuoso and master of the bass, vibraphone and piano, Don Thompson. After multiple national tours, jazz festivals, a prestigious Grand Prix du Jazz nomination from the Montreal Jazz Festival, Jazz Album of the Year from Jazz FM (2009), and weekly residences at Toronto’s historic Rex Hotel, the trio has proven that not only are they at the forefront of their genre – they’re creating their own.
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