ALBUM & LIVE REVIEWS
TENDERLY (feat. GILAD HEKSELMAN)
Released December 1st 2017.
Jazz Weekly, a jazzmagazine based in California, has a very nice review in their March issue. I am grateful and happy for it all, and for being mentioned as a FEMALE VOCAL GEM among such great company of singers like Kate McGarry, Madeleine and Sunny Wilkinson !✨ 😊👌
"Vocalist Lilly does an impressive collection of cozy duets with guitarist Gilad Hekselman" (...)
"Her voice is warm and calm, and she feels completely relaxed in this setting, using space as a sound..." (...)
" Hekselman delivers dainty intros like flowing drapery on a glistening “Skylark” and sparkling “Day Dream” while some creative pedal work creates a pastoral “You’re Everything. Gentleness and gentility at its best."
Here is at link to the review: http://www.jazzweekly.com/2018/03/female-vocal-gems
“Gentleness and gentility at its best”
“... listening to her, while she is being accompanied by Gilad - that has the stuff of legend” (....) “Lilly’s authenticity is unsurpassable” (...) “His playing in “Skylark” urges this, all the intros, accompaniments and soli are unique works of art”. (...) “End result: This duo is a new, very tall, bright lighthouse in the variety of this kind of duo occupation”.
“.. listening to her, while she is being accompanied by Gilad - that has the stuff of legend” (....) Lilly’s authenticity is unsurpassable”
“His playing in “Skylark” urges this, all the intros, accompaniments and soli are unique works of art”. (...) “End result: This duo is a new, very tall, bright lighthouse in the variety of this kind of duo occupation”
“Tenderly is a truly suburb recording, which rightly raises the expectations for her next effort ”
A really nice review from The New York City Jazz Record in their February 2018 issue! The same magazine, that a.o. placed the album as Top 5 Best Vocal Release 2017 i their January Issue! I am SO grateful and happy about these positive vibes from The Big Apple..the Capital of Jazz, NYC!
“Lillys and Hekselman’s arrangements reach almost the impossible of regenerating standards like the title track, “You Go To My Head”, “Skylark” and “Day Dream” to the point of ownership rather than reinterpretation”
In the Top 5 BEST OF VOCAL RELEASES 2017 by The New York City Jazz Record!
4,5 stars out of 5 in ALL ABOUT JAZZ by Jakob Bækgaard!
“A setup so simple and yet so complex. Phrasings filled with an understanding of space and pause. Guitar lines and vocal chords. Guitar chords and vocal lines. A symbiosis, a deep conversation, not chitter-chatter. Poetry sung tenderly.”
“The way, in which the two - Lilly and Hekselman - approach the material, is so absolutely poignant and reveals a deep musicality. The voice and the guitar is like a match made in heaven”
FIRST REVIEW OF TENDERLY (feat. GILAD HEKSELMAN) IS REALLY GREAT!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS in Danish music magazine GAFFA, reviewed by Ivan Rod.
You can read the review in Danish here in GAFFA or at www.ivanrod.dk
Here is an attempt of a translation to English:
"IMPRESSIVELY WELL, MINIMALISTIC VOCALJAZZALBUM.
I am touched and deeply impressed by Lillys new album, Tenderly. Touched and impressed by the Danish jazzsingers vulnerable, minimalistic and almost naked expression. Touched and impressed by her deepfelt, relevant and solid versions of eight of the really great jazzstandards. So touched and impressed, that I have to say, that Tenderly is not only Lillys best release until date, but one of the recent years best Danish vocaljazzalbums!
On Tenderly Lilly – aka Lilly-Ann Hertzman – has teamed up with the USA based, Israelian jazzguitar-talent, Gilad Hekselman, and it is with him - and only him - that she interprets standards like Hoagy Carmichael & Johnny Mercers Skylark, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorns Day Dream, Charlie Haden and Abbey Lincolns First Song, Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercers Whistling Away The Dark and Chick Coreas You’re Everything.
The way, in which the two - Lilly and Hekselman - approach the material, is so absolutely poignant and reveals a deep musicality. The voice and the guitar is like a match made in heaven. And the management of the material is poignant"
- Ivan Rod / GAFFA
5 stars from Ivan Rod / GAFFA
“I am touched and deeply impressed by Lillys new album, Tenderly. Touched and impressed by the Danish jazzsingers vulnerable, minimalistic and almost naked expression. Touched and impressed by her deepfelt, relevant and solid versions of eight of the really great jazzstandards. So touched and impressed, that I have to say, that Tenderly is not only Lillys best releast until date, but one the recent years best Danish vocaljazzalbums!”
— ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS in Danish music magazine GAFFA, reviewed by Ivan Rod
❤️❤️❤️❤️ Four hearts and many fine words about the album, Tenderly (feat. Gilad Hekselman) from Politiken, by Christian Munch-Hansen, that calls the album a little pearl and a.o. wrote like this: “...everything seems so natural in her confidential present interpretations with Gilad Hekselman, whose sovereign accompaniment is tonally singing, low-keyed listening and filled with small delicious details”.
“...everything seems so natural in her confidential present interpretations with Gilad Hekselman, whose sovereign accompaniment is tonally singing, low-keyed listening and filled with small delicious details ”
Menneskeblomst (2016)
Menneskeblomst (2016) feat. Gustaf Ljunggren (S), Anders AC Christensen (DK) & Lew Soloff (US).
“...rarely have I heard a small group of musicians get so much sound out of a number of simple compositions...a delicate and excellent album ”
— Jakob Hassing, Jazzspecial (about Menneskeblomst)
For extended review and more reviews in Danish about the album, Menneskeblomst please follow this link!
LOVE IS A SOUND (2009)
Love Is A Sound (2009)
“Lilly Spellbounds! A rare and beautiful listening experience ”
— Jydske Vestkysten, ***** 5 stars
”Lilly Spellbounds! With her expressive voice and sense for good arrangements, Lilly strikes a personal expression which doesn’t really have any pendants. A rare beautiful listening experience. Lilly is effortlessly moving around in a floating musical universe which is intimate and grandiose as well as very jazzy.”
***** 5 stars in JYDSKE VESTKYSTEN - Danish newspaper
“Love Is A Sound is so convincing an album that fame now is bound to knock on her door....Lilly has written some blazing good songs and lyrics”
— Ivan Rod, GAFFA **** 4 stars
”Love Is A Sound is so convincing an album that fame now is bound to knock on her door....Lilly has written some blazing good songs and lyrics, some of them with Swedish pianist Jonas Berg. And it is the quality of these songs and lyrics combined with a strong lineup of musicians - including American trumpet player Lew Soloff and Swedish singer Nils Erikson - and Lillys very confident voice, that make this album something special....One feels like moved to a scene of which could be Caroline Hendersons or Silje Neergaards. Lilly has the same wonderful sense of the musical elements - the same wonderful sense of the qualities of the poetic and grandiose! And that is indeed impressive!”
/Ivan Rod
**** 4 stars in GAFFA - national music magazine
”Listening intensely to the sound of Lilly’s voice one is bound to agree with her completely: Love is a sound....another golden moment on a versatile album with many polished pearls....super sophisticated Beatles’ish string arrangements that wrap warmly around the substance of the songs as a homeknitted poncho.”
***** 4 out of 5 stars in SKOPET, online culture magazine
"Poetic and intimate. Lillys musical universe is manifold and goes across borders. How often does one hear string arrangements for something one essentially regards as jazz? ..it sounds good.”
**** 4 out of 5 stars in FLENSBORG AVIS - Danish newspaper:
”Luxurious atmosphere. Grandiose pop with elements of jazz as known from e.g. Caroline Henderson, Hanne Boel and Silje Neergaard as the main ingredient.
Niels Overgaard/ Jazznyt.blogspot.com
ALSO NICE REVIEWS FROM SWEDEN...(in swedish), about the album LOVE IS A SOUND (2009).
“ Lilly-Ann Hertzman, alias Lilly, är en av många danska sångerskor som arbetar i gränslandet mellan soul och en eklektiskt definierad jazz.Men hon är djärvare än exempelvis Marie Carmen Koppel och Malene Mortensen.
Hon går i suggestiv närkamp med det minimalistiskt färgade kompet som både tränger in i sången som spänningsskapande kontrast och ger vilopunkter i bakgrunden.
Det ger en förtätad ljudbild, där Lillys starka röst flätas in i en knappt differentierad bakgrund, i vackra stråkarrangemang eller friare, svävande solostämmor som när Lew Soloffs trumpet eller Jeppe Kjellbergs gitarrer frigör sig ur bakgrunden och formar självständigare figurer, självständiga men också i intensiv växelverkan med Lillys röst.”
LIRA Musikmagasin (Swedish musicmagazine) / Magnus Eriksson
“Danska Lilly-Ann Hertzman, som bekänner sig till jazz, har tillsammans med producenten Jonas Berg skapat ett väl genomarbetat album som växer efter varje lyssning.
Med skickligt folk som Lew Soloff (trumpet) och Nils Eriksson (som gästsjunger på ”Earth and Sky”) blir det aldrig en tråkig stund. Ett uppfriskande inslag är att Lilly & Co ständigt vågar lämna jazzen och blickar ut mot pop- folk- och visinslag.”
**** 4 stars – NORRAN (Swedish paper) / Per Strömbro
BEFORE THE CROSSING (2005)
Before The Crossing (2005)
“There is something grand, captivating and magical about Lilly and her musical universe”
— Fyens Stiftstidende
”…Lilly bevæger sig i en crossover stil med afstikkere til pop, country, folk, brazilian og jazz samt Tom Waits lune…og albummet er af den slags der vinder ved gennemlytning. Her er plads til langsomheden, og tid til at dvæle ved budskaberne. ”
**** 4 stjerner i Soundvenue.dk v/ Tine Clara Holbøll
"Lilly er københavner, men hendes debut lyder forbløffende international.
Hun går mere efter stemninger end efter stemme, og mange forskellige inspirationer (lidt jazz, latin, lidt folkemusik osv) smelter sammen til en harmonisk og homogen helhed. Titelsangen "Before The Crossing" gynger bedst".
**** 4 stjerner i Jyllandsposten v/ jakel
”..Der er noget storladent, besnærende og trolddomsagtigt over Lilly og hendes musikalske univers (...) Lilly har en frodig, hæs og hed vokal, der smyger sig om de stemningsmættede melodier, som udgør grundsubstansen på debutalbummet. Melodierne er ofte stemningsbærere snarere end regelrette sange med A- , B- og C- stykker.”
*** ( 3 stjerner i Fyens Stiftstidende) v/ Lene Kryger
” Hun har fat i noget! Der er noget af et sært blend af navne som Caroline Henderson og Susi Hyldgaard over den debuterende sangerinde Lilly´s Before The Crossing. Mest Hyldgaard af den
naturlige årsag at Lilly ligeledes skriver sin egen musik og elsker flirten med allehånde genrer..”
*** 3 stjerner i Berlingske Tidende v/ Thomas Søie
En søgende sjæl.
En rejse fra fødsel til død. Hverken mere eller mindre giver københavnske Lilly os på sin debut-cd, "Before The Crossing", der åbner blidt med en svømmetur og ender et lykkeligt sted i "This Love Still Lingers On". Smukt - og rigtigt må vi så håbe på. Lilly har et internationalt snit over sig - nærmest født til det med en japansk mor og en dansk far, og musikalsk når vi også verden rundt - lidt jazz, lidt latinamerikanske rytmer og country, som en rejsedagbog som denne må være skabt af. Undervejs er der smukke stunder - måske især i "A Beautiful Night: "Whispers of love / falls from above /you hold me tight /as we´re drifting through the night".
*** 3 stjerner i Jydske Vestkysten v/ Ole Sørensen,
LIVE REVIEWS
Photo from Open Air concert at Copenhagen Jazzfestival 2008. This line-up featured: Krister Jonsson (S) on guitar, Jonas Berg (S) on keyboards/piano, Thommy Andersson (S) on doublebass and Michael Finding (DK) on drums/percussion. Photo by Dorthe F. Svendsen
"Koncert med fortryllende Lilly. Musik kan gøre så meget. Blandt andet betage og sætte følelser i sving. Det var det, der skete, da Lilly gav koncert i Mosaikken. En bevægende og følelsesfuld koncert!"
/ Claus Larsen,
Vanløse Kulturhus, april 2009
"En kold, stjerneklar aften i marts 2009 lod vi på Brandbjerg Højskole os omfavne af Lilly-Anns smukke varme. Lilly med band er en intens og fyldig oplevelse, og hendes musik begår sig både ved den lille intime koncert og den større koncert, hvor man opfyldes og omsluttes af vellyd. Teksterne er fyldt med både hjerte og tanke, og man føler sig tiltalt, udfordret og ramt af den lidenskab, der ligger bag både ord og stemme"
/Simon Lægsgaard
(Forstander, Brandbjerg Højskole)
Om koncert i Kollerup Kirke, Brandbjerg - marts 2009
"Lillys musik og ord fortæller den samme medrivende historie. En koncert med Lilly og hendes musikere er en strøm af noget vedkommende og livsnært. Det er musik for dem, der holder af jazz, men også gerne vil holde af livet."
/Birgitte Møldrup
(sognepræst Kollerup-Vindelev)
Om koncert i Kollerup Kirke, Brandbjerg - marts 2009