Put On Yo' Record: Keith Hill

why is music important to you?

"At an early stage in my life I was exposed to it. The live performances. Meeting the groups of the day. After being exposed to it to like that, I just took to it naturally. It's a part of who I am."

favorite Song...

"It's unfair to only have one. But, since you force me. I think about the jam that moved me the most when I heard it for the first time. That would "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off)". When I heard this track, and, what followed. The concept group Parliament. The fantasy vision behind it. Then all of the music that followed. It changed my view of the music scene forever. We Want the Funk became the anthem for a lot of people. Including me."

favorite musician...

"Again, trying to limit it to one person, isn't fair. But, the most influential person for me was hearing Jimi Hendrix. He was so far ahead of his peers with regard to playing the guitar. Add to that, his personal performance on stage. There was no one who came close to him. His playing to this day cannot be duplicated. The effects playing, has caught up to us with the rock stars of today. But, he was doing this in the 60's when no one knew about such things. And, was probably the inspiration behind most who use guitar effects today. To this day, my favorite 'live' album is Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies, which featured Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums. After Jimi moved on from his group the Jimi Hendrix Experience (which was more rock), Band of Gypsies was a more fat sound that had more of a R&B/Blues/Rock thing working. At the time, there was nothing like it."

top 5 Albums...

~1. Parliament - Mothership Connection

~2. Earth, Wind and Fire - That's the Way of the World

~3. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

~4. The Isley Brothers - 3+3

~5. SLAVE - Just a Touch of Love

how do you keep REAL music alive?

"Ultimately, there has to be a commitment to educating the next generation to the joys of playing real instruments. Piano, horns, acoustic and electric basses and so on. They have to be exposed to it. They have to see serious performers doing it. It's one reason why I'm producing a jazz festival. It allows for such diverse expression among musicians. That diversity doesn't exist in the other genre's of music. Once a child sees such things, they'll want to do it. Like I did. I'm just on the business end."