Meet… Kevin Hill
Those down the shore have probably already met Kevin Hill, the Asbury Park singer-songwriter-guitarist and leader of Kevin Hill & Secret Sound, or at least saw him at the Pony. Dude’s played there 70+ times. That’s no typo. Secret Sound is Dave Farraro, James Dalton, Stevo Nelson, Joe McGuth and Gabe Sanderson. Day/Night is the new album and he’ll be debuting it at Asbury Lanes on May 29 with support from Sweet Lou & The River Rats plus From The Ground.
Talk to Hill and he’ll tell you that, “Day/Night is about progression—from the roots to outer space, from pain to healing.” It encompasses thoughtful folk, blues and reggae and beat-heavy electronic jams. He just got back from Ireland where he performed for his fellow Irish seven nights straight. He does it bi-annually.
Ted Dunbar has taught him a lot. Trey Anastasio of Phish and Vernon Reid of Living Colour were two of Dunbar’s other students. He’s taken what he’s learned and applied it to his Mondays at The Pig and Parrot in Brielle, something he’s done for the last four years.
The lead single from the new album is “Take Down My Confession,” a tribute of sorts to Lowell George [1945-1979] of Little Feat. Hill says, “…it begins with the pain of drunken remorse and a swampy groove that builds to a place of acceptance and resolution. (Hill’s life followed the same dangerous course of addiction that ultimately killed George at 34.) Happily, Hill conquered his demons, enough to continue his career opening for the likes of Sting, Levon Helm, Gov’t Mule, Ziggy Marley, Dickey Betts and Johnny Winter. Inspired by the jazz organ groups of Newark in the ‘60s and ‘70s, spiritually awakened by Grateful Dead and Santana, he’s a husband-father-educator and mental health advocate. In other words, a hero.
Here's a few seconds of Kevin Hill & Secret Sound rockin’ out on a Chuck Berry tune. Check out the response.
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