CYNTHIA HILTS & LYRIC FURY at BAHA'I CENTER, nyc, APR 17
- photography by ©Clara Pereira / text by Filipe Freitas
On April 17th, pianist/vocalist/composer Cynthia Hilts performed at the Bahai Center in Manhattan with her Lyric Fury project, an octet of talented instrumentalists and improvisers such as baritone and soprano saxophonist Lisa Parrott, altoist Lily White, trombonist Deborah Weisz, trumpeter Eddie Allen, cellist Leigh Stuart, bassist Ratzo Harris, and drummer Scott Neumann.
The two-set performance included emblematic pieces from Lyric Fury’s eponymous album like “Those Basinites”, a bluesy, funkified stretch featuring muted trombone, potent trumpet attacks, and a stimulating bass pizzicato with occasional decisive slides; “Teacher”, whose piano introduction could be of any modern pop song, but still carrying some shades of folk in the melody; “Three Wishes”, an engrossing composition; and “Blues For the Bronchs”, whose accessible euphoria left the audience smiling.
Other highlights of the show: “Nekriz”, an exotic song penned by Tunisian guitarist Mamdouh Bahri with lyrics by Ms. Hilts; and “Rain on Chapparal”, which kicked off with enigmatic mallet drumming before adventurous improvisations could take effect.