Hillmen is an instrumental group performing "Free Improvisation" with a Jazz Rock slant, located high in the mountains of Topanga, California. Recently they have finished recording music at Sea View Studios, for their brand-new debut CD titled "The Whiskey Mountain Sessions" ... this new album has just been released in late October 2011 and is available at: www.cdbaby.com/cd/hillmen www.DjamKaret.com/store.php You can hear excerpts from the new CD "The Whiskey Mountain Sessions" on the music player above. (The track "Its The Business" is an un-released song, with the "lyrics" consisting of a review of our CD by Scotland's Dead Earnest.) ********* Their debut album "The Whiskey Mountain Sessions" is now available, and has been received with great reviews throughout the world (SEE BELOW). Often compared in the press to Miles Davis and the top Fusion bands of the 1960's and 1970's, Hillmen play a unique style of Jazz that is both retro and contemporary. Recorded live-in-studio without over-dubs by Peter Hillman at Sea View Studios (overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean), and mixed, mastered and produced by Gayle Ellett with almost no compression, this highly dynamic CD features HILLMEN at their fiery best! Hillmen play Free Improvisational music. In this genre the emphasis is placed more on mood and texture or more simply, on performance gesture, than on preset forms of melody, harmony or rhythm. These elements are improvised at will, as the music progresses, creating compositions that grow and evolve over time. One advantage of this style is that it offers musicians more possibilities "per cubic second" then any other genre, and also the opportunity to "play without memory". Lead by master drummer Peter Hillman, with a host of session players and other top performers from throughout Los Angeles, Hillmen strive to create totally new and exciting music, in the classic tradition of Free Improvisation. By combining the classic sounds of Hammond C-2, Rhodes piano, vintage guitars and amps, with state-of-the-art recording technology, Hillmen create a style of music that is both traditional and very contemporary. Come hear for yourself the music of Hillmen. The acoustic version of Hillmen, working under the name "The Topanga Mountain All-Stars", have recently worked with Grammy Award winner Michelle Shocked as her back-up band. Hillmen are: Peter Hillman: Drums Gayle Ellett: Hammond C-2 organ and Rhodes piano Mike Murray: Guitars Ralph Rivers: Bass And many guest musicians such as: Stevie Re, Brian Carter, John Baltic, Randy Chance, Steve Siefert, Joee Corso, Andrew Behla, Barry Newton, Todd Montgomery, and others. Stay tuned for more updates!! CONTACT: www.facebook.com/Hillmen The EPK-Press Kit for this CD is located here: www.djamkaret.com/firepoolrecords/hillmen/ REVIEWS of The Whiskey Mountain Sessions CD: "Like an elegant and erudite tribute to the post-Miles Davis age.” SCARUFFI (USA) "#6 Album Of The Year" SEA OF TRANQUILITY (England) "The band's improvisational output exudes an after-hours aura, as the musicians let their hair down and surge forward without boundaries." ALL ABOUT JAZZ.com (USA) "These tunes are part jazz, part post-rock, part progressive, but developed into a complete sound. This is a clear and vibrant work, and I know that this is an album that I’ll return to repeatedly." LEICESTERBANGS (England) "The result is cutting edge jazz. An excellent acquisition. 9 out of 10" MANTICORNIO (Mexico) "Hillmen have their own sound and go their own way, but the spirit of the late Sixties, early Seventies, is everywhere. For fans of jam rock this is an interesting acquisition. 3.5 stars out of 4” PROGGIES (Switzerland) "These improvisations are of the most intimate jazz jams, while also moving through increasingly rocky passages with fiery guitar solos. It should be noted that the album has a crystal clear and vibrant sound." BABYBLAUE (Germany) "Technically wonderful instrumental music that can transfix even the non-committed music fan. This jazz-rock-fusion is of high quality." CLASSIC ROCK SOCIETY (England) "Fans of Santana, The Grateful Dead, and the Psychedelic music of 60s' and 70s' should find this to their liking." PROGNAUT (USA) "Better examples of musical ensemble-interaction than Hillmen, are hard to find. Their music is in stark contrast to a market-driven legion of musical garbage that dominates the commercial market." MERLINPROG (Norway) "Between Miles Davis' "In A Silent Way ', Soft Machine's fourth album, and the seminal experiments of such composers as Gary Burton, Larry Coryell and Graham Bond, the Hillmen have created four pieces of instrumental music-like taking a long road trip to the past." MOVIMENTIPROG (Italy) "This improv music applies a modern approach to cafe style jazz." SONIC CURIOSITY (USA) "Quite an enjoyable set. This is improv jazz from an earlier time." AURAL-INNOVATIONS (USA) "With its laid-back pace and easy, natural flow, the music is strikingly effective in evoking the beauty of the surroundings in which the album was created - though at the same time it may suggest the dim, smoky interior of an old-time jazz club, or also the mellow, informal atmosphere of an open-air festival. Conclusion: 8 out of 10" DUTCH PROGRESSIVE ROCK PAGES (The Netherlands) "These sessions have produced an excellent album that shows us that improvisation and a catchy melody can indeed go together." IO-Pages (The Netherlands) "This is music that is created in the moment and is overflowing with creative energy." PROGRESSIVE NEWSLETTER (Germany) "Competent fusion jazz, like a slightly rougher version of an Al Di Meola LP." THE SOUND PROJECTOR (England) "They all interact naturally, with a certain attitude similar to the Miles Davis album "Bitches Brew." ARLEQUINS (Italy) ....