Steve Hill

When it comes to one-man bands, guitarist and singer extraordinaire Steve Hill has no limits. Throughout his lengthy and intense live shows, Hill performs standing up while singing and playing guitar, with his feet playing bass drum, snare drum, hi-hats and, with a drum stick fused to the head of his trusty guitar, any other percussion within reach. With roots in blues, rock and a little bit of country, Hill performs his original songs, blues classics and, quite often, raucous renditions of Jimi Hendrix tunes.

Widely considered one of Canada’s most prolific and exciting guitarists, this multiple award winning artist recently released the much anticipated follow-up to his JUNO nominated Solo Recordings Volume 1, which also won album of the year at the International Blues Challenge in 2013. Solo Recordings Volume 2 is a step up for Hill, embracing his roots and showcasing his talents and love of blues music even further. Solo Recordings Volume 2 and its predecessor was recorded live in the studio with Hill not only on guitar and vocals, but also on bass drum, hi-hat, shakers and whatever he can do with his feet at the same time. In January 2015, Hill was awarded four coveted Maple Blues Awards including Electric Act of the Year, Guitarist of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. Solo Recordings Volume 2 was also nominated for a 2015 JUNO Award in the Blues Album of the Year category.

Featuring tracks that are heavy and hard hitting, deep and melodic, Hill manages to nail a wide rage of emotions with his songwriting and masterful guitar playing. With eight original songs and three covers, including Little Walter’s “Hate To See You Go”, Muddy Water’s “I Want You To Love Me” and Ray Bonneville’s “Simple Things”, Solo Recordings Volume 2 is sure to please the most discerning blues lovers and music fans in general. This incredible release proves why the Montreal Gazette called Hill “the meanest guitar player in Canada” and why Vancouver’s Real Blues Magazine has referred to him as “the best young Blues guitar player in North America.”

For the past 20 years Hill has been touring and recording and has shared the stage with many of his heroes like Ray Charles, BB King, ZZ Top, Jimmie Vaughan, Hubert Sumlin, Jeff Beck and many others. Over the course of eight albums he's explored everything from hard-rock, country, and stoner rock to folk music while always incorporating the essence of his first love, the blues.

Hill’s reputation as an exciting performer has provided him the opportunity to showcase his talents at some of Canada’s biggest music festivals, including Montreal Jazz Festival, Mont Tremblant International Blues Festival, Thunder Bay Blues Festival, Kitchener Blues Festival and more. Steve Hill is clearly at home on the stage, inviting audiences to catch a glimpse of musical madness in the form of blues and rock ‘n’ roll.
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Steve Hill fait ses débuts sur scène à l’âge de 16 ans. Quatre ans plus tard, il donne plus de 200 représentations qui contribuent au succès de son premier album. Le magazine vancouverois Real Blues ne s’y trompe pas en le consacrant «Best Canadian Debut Recordings». Ce premier essai n’est cependant que le point de départ d’une riche discographie : Call It What You Will (1999), Domino (2002) qui avec un son plus contemporain marque une nette évolution saluée par la critique, Devil at My Heels (2007) habile synthèse de rock lourd et mélodique, The Damage Done (2009) que Steve Hill enregistre avec son groupe The Majestiks, Wiplash Love (2011) mix de southern rock et de rock’n’roll à haute énergie, avant de se lancer avec bonheur en 2012 dans sa collection Solo Recordings.

Avec plus de 1.000 spectacles en carrière, Steve Hill construit aussi sa réputation sur les planches. Que ce soit à l’occasion de premières parties prestigieuses (Ray Charles, B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Johnny Lang, ZZ Top, The Tragically Hip, Jeff Beck, Metallica, Alice Cooper… ), de collaborations d’envergure (Nanette Workman, Zachary Richard, Michel Pagliaro, Éric Lapointe… ) et bien évidemment en tête d’affiche, il s’impose comme une authentique bête de scène. Prix et distinctions par dizaines (Gala ADISQ, Gala Lys Blues, Prix Juno, Maple Blues Awards) saluent une carrière déjà très riche mais dont on gage que les plus belles pages restent à écrire.