Warren Hill (musician)

Last updated
Warren Hill
Warren Hill.jpg
Warren Hill in 2007
Background information
Born (1966-04-15) April 15, 1966 (age 58)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres Jazz, smooth jazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentAlto Saxophone
Years active1988–present
Labels RCA, Discovery, Narada, Koch
Website warrenhill.com

Warren Hill (born April 15, 1966) is a smooth jazz alto saxophonist from Toronto, Canada.

Contents

Hill was discovered in 1988 while performing at his graduation from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Record producer Russ Titelman, who was in the audience, invited him to record on an album by Chaka Khan. After moving to Los Angeles, he signed with RCA in 1989 and recorded his debut album, Kiss Under the Moon. He supported Natalie Cole on tour for her album Unforgettable and had a hit in 1993 with the song "The Passion Theme" from the movie Body of Evidence . [1]

In the smooth jazz format his number one hits include "Our First Dance", "Do You Feel What I'm Feeling", "Mambo 2000", "Tamara", "Still in Love", La Dolce Vita", "Promises", "Take Out Dreams", "Tears in Heaven", "Another Goodbye", "Tell Me All Your Secrets", "You Are the One", and "Turn Out the Lights". Warren and his wife Tamara VanCleef-Hill wrote and produced the song "Shelter from the Storm". He was featured on the song "Tell Me What You Dream" by Restless Heart and "Baby I Love Your Way" by Big Mountain. He appeared on the television show Top of the Pops on the BBC in England. Hill founded a smooth jazz cruise in 2004. He is also the host and owner of the Cancun Jazz Festival, has established his brand of instruments, and co-founded the label, Songbird Records.

His album Devotion came out in 1993 and Truth a year later. By 1997, he had switched to Discovery, which released Shelter (1997) and Life Thru Rose Colored Glasses (1998). Love Life (2000) was released by Narada, followed by Love Songs and A Warren Hill Christmas in 2002 and PopJazz in 2005. In 2008, he signed with Koch, which issued La Dolce Vita in June that year. [2]

Instruments

On the alto saxophone he uses Blue Jumbo Java mouthpiece from Vandoren which sounds sharp and dry. Since Vandoren stopped producing Blue Jumbo Java mouthpieces, the price of them second-hand has risen sharply.[ citation needed ]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleChart
US Jazz
[3]
US Con. Jazz
[4]
Label
1991Kiss Under the Moon11RCA
1993Devotion86
1994Truth76
1997Shelter138Discovery
1998Life Thru Rose Colored Glasses2718
2000Love Life1410Narada
2002Love Songs16
A Warren Hill Christmas48
2005PopJazz2817PopJazz
2008La Dolce Vita46Koch
2012Christmas with Warren HillSUGO Music Group

Singles

YearTitleChart PositionsAlbum
US Smooth Jazz
2008"La Dolce Vita"2La Dolce Vita
2009"Mojo"30La Dolce Vita
2012"Play It Like You Mean It"

Guest singles

YearTitleArtistChart PositionsAlbum
US Smooth Jazz US US AC CAN [A] CAN AC [A]
1993"Tell Me What You Dream" Restless Heart 431141 Greatest Hits
2008"On the Upside" Steve Oliver 25One Night Live
  • A ^ Chart position according to RPM .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maceo Parker</span> American saxophonist and composer (born 1943)

Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s and Prince in the 2000s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. Since the early 1990s, he has toured under his own name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Sanborn</span> American saxophonist (1945–2024)

David William Sanborn was an American alto saxophonist. Sanborn worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 11 and released his first solo album, Taking Off, in 1975. He was active as a session musician, and played on numerous albums by artists including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Sting, the Eagles, Rickie Lee Jones, James Brown, George Benson, Carly Simon, Elton John, Bryan Ferry and the Rolling Stones. He released more than 20 albums and won six Grammy awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny G</span> American jazz saxophonist and composer (born 1956)

Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album Duotones brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth jazz</span> Commercially oriented crossover jazz

Smooth jazz is a term used to describe commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, it is clear that smooth jazz became the successor to easy listening music on radio station programming in the mid-1970s to the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Koz</span> American saxophonist

David Stephen Koz is an American saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindi Abair</span> American jazz saxophonist (born 1969)

Mindi Abair is an American saxophonist, vocalist, author, and National Trustee for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization that puts on the Grammy Awards show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grover Washington Jr.</span> American jazz saxophonist (1943–1999)

Grover Washington Jr. was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist and Grammy Award winner. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders and legends of the smooth jazz genre. He wrote some of his material and later became an arranger and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Williams</span> American jazz saxophonist

Pamela Williams is an American smooth jazz saxophonist. Her music employs nu Jazz, funk, R&B, house, Latin and pop.

Vandoren is a manufacturer of mouthpieces, reeds, and accessories for the clarinet and saxophone families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back at One (song)</span> 1999 single by Brian McKnight

"Back at One" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Brian McKnight, taken from his fifth studio album of the same name (1999). The single was released on August 9, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Lorber</span> American jazz keyboardist

Jeffrey H. Lorber is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Prototype by his band the Jeff Lorber Fusion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Albright</span> American jazz saxophonist

Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for the albums 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and was nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Marienthal</span> American jazz musician

Eric Marienthal is a Grammy Award-nominated Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres.

Dolce vita or la dolce vita is Italian for "the sweet life". It may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Howard (jazz)</span> American smooth jazz saxophonist

George Howard was an American smooth jazz saxophonist.

Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to being principals of Rihanna's production company SRP Music Group, they have achieved more than twenty top 40 hits, twelve top 5 hits and six BMI Awards. Their songs have sold more than 60 million albums around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Whalum</span> American jazz saxophonist and songwriter (born 1958)

Kirk Whalum is an American R&B and smooth jazz saxophonist and songwriter. He toured with Whitney Houston for more than seven years and soloed on her single "I Will Always Love You", the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. He was also featured on many Luther Vandross albums, most often playing on the singer's covers of older pop and R&B standards such as "Anyone Who Had a Heart", "I ", and "Love Won't Let Me Wait".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Lington</span> Musical artist

Michael Lington is a Danish-American contemporary saxophonist, songwriter, producer, recording artist and a purveyor of soul and contemporary jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branford Marsalis</span> American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1960)

Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque. From 1992 to 1995 he led the Tonight Show Band.

References

  1. Ankeny, Jason. "Warren Hill". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  2. "Legendary Smooth Jazz Saxophonist Warren Hill Returns With New Studio Album La Dolce Vita Hits On June 24th, 2008". Top40-charts.com. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  3. "Warren Hill: Top Jazz Albums". billboard.com. Billboard.
  4. "Warren Hill: Contemporary Jazz Albums". billboard.com. Billboard.