Music

CD - Solitary Refinement | CD - View from a Hill | Free Songs to Stream

CD - Solitary Refinement

CD cover

Released December 2008. Available for online ordering. $15

Dedicated to all my friends and family who are currently living and playing solo...learning to love themselves while acknowledging the deep significance of others. You all inspire me!

Also available at CD Baby

Liner Notes

  1. A Minor Scuffle - Written after I was walking next to a building during a blizzard. I was watching the snow and ice under my feet when I hit my head on a metal vent protruding from the wall. I found myself on my back with blood dripping from my head and melting ice dripping from the gutters into my face. I may have lost that battle but got my revenge by writing this whimsical tune.
  2. Those Who Wait - The first song I ever heard Tommy Emmanuel play, the first TE song I learned, the first instrumental song I performed which drew tears from the audience. My humble interpretation of a powerful composition.
  3. Thunder Snow - Two events inspired this song. First, my friend Dave Boon and his wife surviving a huge avalanche which knocked their car off the road. Second, driving with Michelle through a white-out snowstorm in Denver with flashes and crashes of thunder and lightning all around us. Awesome.
  4. Wait for Her - Dedicated to my first born daughter Brooke. It's about unconditional love.
  5. Hugs for Shannon - Dedicated to my sweet daughter Shannon. Now you have your own song!
  6. (re) Imagine - John Lennon's amazing anthem asking us to envision and dream of a better world. My interpretation is based on a couple of different arrangements, one by Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler, and of course, lots of borrowing from TE.
  7. Fall Forever - For me Autumn is a favorite season as is Spring. Times of transition always make me feel so alive.
  8. Eighty Years Young - Written for my mom on her 80th birthday. Mom, you are amazing.
  9. Cowboy's Dream - An interpretation of Tommy Emmanuel's wonderful composition. To me this song feels like riding on a horse at a nice medium pace. Annie, this one's for you!
  10. Magic Carpet Glide - My friend Cliff Wood flies a small single engine Maule. He spoke of flying in the cold morning air of the Colorado Rockies and described it as a magic carpet ride. I love watching hawks and eagles soar on thermals. So, this song is about both types of flight...high and smooth. Cliff let me fly with him from Tulsa to Highland Kansas to see TE this Fall. Wow, what a thrilling experience.

Credits

Recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Larry Lewis at the Acoustic Ranch in Laporte, Colorado
CD cover design and layout by Faith Hill, photography by Dave Hill
The Original website design by the late Steve Moore (miss you my friend!)

All songs composed by Dave Hill except Those Who Wait and Cowboy's Dream by Tommy Emmanuel; Imagine by John Lennon. Used by permission.

Thanks

Even though this project is called Solitary Refinement, no one can truly thrive without important people around them. Thanks to all my friends and family for continued love and support. To Amy and Mike for letting me practice and perform every week in their restaurant, Dempsey's. To the entire Long family for believing in me. Especially Steve and Ryan who faithfully come out every Saturday night to hear me play. To Sandy, Michelle, and Annie S. for being such loyal and long time friends. To Papa for unconditional love. To Tommy Emmanuel for endless inspiration and connection to the mystery. To Shashi and Annie in Mt. Shasta for sharing our love of TE.

CD - View from a Hill

CD cover

Released December 2006. Available for online ordering. $15

Dedicated to my mother, Phyllis Hill, who gave me the musical genes, my first guitar at age 8, and encouragement all along the way. Love you Mom!

Also available at CD Baby

Liner Notes

  1. Both Sides Now - One of my favorite songs of all time. Having studied Tai Chi from a master for four years I've come to see how little I know about basic things like just standing still or weight shifting. It appears that uncovering the "darkness within the darkness" precedes true learning ("I really don't know life at all"). This song is an anthem to complimentary opposites, the yin-yang dynamic.
  2. I Hear You - My first finger-style composition written for Tommy Emmanuel. I played it for him at a workshop in 2004. After first seeing Tommy in 2003 I began playing many hours a day transcribing by ear, now over 70 of his compositions and arrangements. Every time I saw Tommy he encouraged me to write and record my own material....."get to work!". I have a long way to go but thanks for the kick start Tommy!
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  3. Leap of Faith - For my daughter Faith's college graduation. Dedicated to all three of my daughters...Brooke, Faith, and Shannon...for their inner strength and self reliance. This song paints a slideshow of all the phases of going to any school....applying, nerves on the first day, going to classes, exam stress, spring break, finals, and graduation!
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  4. Tap Your Foot Hill - Living in northern Colorado next to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains we are fortunate to have such natural beauty ready to "tap" into just a short drive away. The title also refers to Tommy Emmanuel's constant admonitions to tap your foot to improved your groove in playing music. Conceived as an improvisation for Dorothy who came to see me every week at the Stonehouse restaurant.
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  5. The Golfer - For my father, William Hill, who passed away in May of 2006 at age 83. Dad was an avid and great golfer who had hundreds of golfing buddies. He played his last 18 holes with my mom two weeks before he passed. This song is a soundtrack to a round of golf with Bill. It begins with the morning sun, gathering at the first tee, riding down the fairway in the cart, getting out of trouble in the trees, and of course, two putting and tapping in for par at the 18th hole.
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  6. I'm Here, You're There - A song to meditate on our life's work of bridging the gap between ourselves and others.....family, lovers, friends, or strangers. Whether navigating long distances, differing perceptions, or just plain getting along, we all seek to bond and be close with others....to be known.
  7. The Dash - Dedicated to Albert Gonzales, a tennis friend who passed away two years ago. On our gravestones "the dash" between our year of birth and year of death is the only thing that matters. My reminder to run a good life like Albert did.
  8. The Most Beautiful Sky - Stephen Bennett's amazing composition. While recording this song Larry looked out the window and saw a rainbow like sunset event unlike anything we had seen in Colorado before. Coincidence? Just happened to have my camera.
  9. What's the Rush? - Just a song I came up with when I felt pressure to record this CD a year ago, I wasn't ready and my compositions needed to marinate and be gig tested. Songs are never truly "finished". As Adrian Legg said, recordings of songs are a like a snapshot of a bird in flight. Ironically, this song started out as a balled but ended up sounding better uptempo.
  10. She Sees Through Me - I improvised this tune on a gig as a birthday gift for Dorothy's daughter whose name is Idiong. Her name means clairvoyant. The intro is a nod to the late Ted Greene, one of my early teachers and influences.

All songs written by Dave Hill except 'Both Sides Now' - by Joni Mitchell, and 'The Most Beautiful Sky' - by Stephen Bennett

Credits

Recorded, produced, and mastered by Larry Lewis at When The Eagle Flies studio, Laporte Colorado. CD cover design and layout by Faith Hill. Photography by Dave Hill, Reggie Barrett, and Tanner Trace.

Thanks

To my lovely daughters Brooke, Faith and Shannon for your love and inspiration. I love you each tons! Special thanks to Michelle, Tanner, Cassidy, and Sandy for always encouraging me and believing in me. To Dorothy, Jerry, Larry, Barry, Annie, Steve, Dave, Bob, Debbie, Jennifer, Greg, Rhonda, Mimi, Reggie, Mike, and Christy for friendship and support. To my family, the Hills...Mom, Dad, Michael, and Pamela for basis of all that has come to pass. To Tommy Emmanuel for lighting a fire inside that brought back the pure joy of music and playing guitar - I hear you! To Swallow Hill, Stonehouse Grille, BeanCycle, and Everyday Joe's for giving me stages to play, practice and perform.

Equipment - Maton and Larrivee guitars, Laboga cables, Wegen and Dunlop picks, AER and Genz-Benz amplifiers, D'Addario strings.

Downloads

Listen to these songs.

  • Rising Sun - Live from Rist Mountain Festival 9/6/09
  • What's The Rush - Live from Rist Mountain Festival 9/6/09
  • Man In The Mirror - By Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard - arranged by Tuck Andress.
  • Tennessee - By Ed Gerhard - Ed was the first guitartist that got Dave inspired to start learning acoustic fingerstyle back in 1998.
  • Georgia on my Mind - By Hoagy Carmichael - arranged by Dave Hill
  • The Zipper - By Alex De Grassi - Alex's Water Garden CD had a huge impact on Dave. He transcribed over half of the pieces and brought Alex to the Rialto Theater (Loveland, CO) in 1999 so he could meet him.
  • The Dolphin - By Luiz Eca - arranged by Martin Taylor
  • It Ain't Necessarily So - By George Gershwin - Arranged by Ted Greene
  • Can't Take That Away - By George Gershwin - Arranged by Ted Greene
  • Blackfoot Angel - By Dave Hill