b. 1966, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hill grew up listening to all kinds of music, particularly rock. Although he had previously dabbled with the alto saxophone, Hill later formed his own group, playing guitar and also singing. At the age of 17 he went to jazz summer school at the Eastman School of Music in New York. After hearing music of past saxophone giants and contemporary players he abandoned the guitar and returned to the alto saxophone. Despite the powerful impulse to become a professional musician, Hill then attended the University of Toronto, studying physics. A year or so of this convinced him that music was the path he wanted to follow and he enrolled at the Berklee College Of Music. Arising out of his performance at the graduation ceremony, he was hired to play on a Chaka Khan session, a remarkable break for a young player considering that other album guests included Stevie Wonder, Prince and Dave Grusin.
Hill then relocated to the west coast, made a demo tape and sought a recording contract. Once again, things moved fast for him and an album appeared within the year. This in turn resulted in his being hired as the opening act for Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable tour. In 1993 Hill performed on the soundtrack of Madonna’s movie, Body Of Evidence, playing ‘The Passion Theme’. The success of Madonna’s video, which used soundtrack clips, brought Hill appearances on television in The Tonight Show and The Arsenio Hall Show. Meanwhile, he played on several other recording sessions, including Restless Heart’s ‘Tell Me What You Dream’, a number 1 Adult Contemporary hit, and Big Mountain’s ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’, which went to number 1 on Top 40 Radio Worldwide. This same year, 1994, Truth, Hill’s third album, reached number 1 in the NAC charts and the Top 10 on Billboard’ s Contemporary Jazz chart.
Throughout the remainder of the 90s, Hill continued attracting attention, high record sales and other successes: NAC Songwriter Of The Year (SESAC), Distinguished Alumni Award from Berklee, National Performance Activity Award (SESAC). In 1998 Life Thru Rose Colored Glasses, his fifth album, reached number 1 on the NAC charts. Although Hill usually employs the cream of session musicians for his albums, he has also brought in star names including for example, on Love Life, Larry Carlton and Chris Botti. Hill’s warm and passionate playing and singing set him a touch apart from many smooth jazz performers, removing as they do any suggestion that his albums might sink into the blandness that sometimes plagues his peers.
