Lisa Hilton, Extended Daydream Review

By Stamish Marcus

Pianist and composer Lisa Hilton leads a quintet that values continuity, allowing form, harmony, and ensemble awareness to do the work of storytelling. From its opening moments, Extended Daydream is an album deeply invested in the process of listening, being in motion, and in the way ideas reveal themselves over time rather than through display.

The album’s impact comes from a high-level improvising ensemble of J.D. Allen (tenor sax), Igmar Thomas (trumpet), Luques Curtis (bass), and Rudy Royston (drums). The group’s chemistry supports spontaneous capture and detailed ensemble writing across Hilton originals. Producing a record that is accessible and deeply crafted through various style of jazz.

The album opens with a spontaneous, first-take performance of Miles Davis’s “So What.” Recorded without rehearsal, the performance leans into modal clarity and collective roots. Curtis and Royston provide a grounded rhythmic spine, while the frontline listens closely, shaping momentum in real time during solos. It’s a statement of orientation that this record will unfold in layers from a common starting point.

That sense of unfolding carries directly into Hilton’s original “Momentary Mystery,” a medium-up piece built on concise thematic cells and rhythmic theme. The writing favors ensemble hits and a melody that lingers without overstaying its welcome. Allen’s improvisation is particularly effective with focused phrases, quick turns, and a strong sense of forward motion. True to its title, the piece feels brief but complete, leaving a distinct impression before moving on.

The album’s conceptual heart arrives with the title track, “Extended Daydream.” Eschewing rigid sectional form, the composition develops through shifting harmonic centers and evolving motifs. Lines overlap, ideas reappear in altered shapes, and the music drifts forward with intention. There’s a subtle folk-jazz sensibility at play, the music is light on its feet, suspended between reflection and momentum. Set in a straight-eight feel, the piece embodies the album’s central idea of continuity shaped by change rather than contrast.

“Tropical Tuesday” offers a bright pivot in the program. Built on a Latin-inflected groove, the tune highlights rhythmic layering and the interplay between bass, drums, and percussion. The feel is buoyant, but never static—always moving forward. A section of group improvisation featuring Allen, Hilton, and Thomas underscores the ensemble’s chemistry, balancing clarity with collective exploration.

Impermanence becomes the guiding idea on “It’s Just for Now.” Shifting modes and subtle harmonic surprises allow familiar figures to return slightly altered, creating motion without repetition. Nothing settles for long. Themes reappear in new colors, suggesting change without drama. This is jazz as an understated meditation on how moments pass and reshape themselves as they go.

That fluid sensibility continues on “Here & There & Back & Forth,” a composition that moves easily between stylistic references. Swing phrasing and rhythmic buoyancy coexist within a structure designed for conversational horn interplay, all anchored by a dancing swing pulse. Thomas’s playing stands out, adding both personality in his solo and lift to the ensemble dialogue.

On “Blues on the Beach,” Hilton explores the blues from an open, vantage point. Grit and calm sit side by side, with space playing as important a role as language. Allen and Thomas share an engaging joint solo section, trading ideas with ease and attentiveness. Hilton’s wide arpeggios are particularly effective, expanding the harmonic field without crowding the mood.

The atmosphere softens further on “Seabirds,” where lyricism and restraint take precedence. With subtle new-age overtones, the music favors sustained lines and open textures, inviting the ensemble to focus on tone, blend, and gradual development.

Hilton’s arrangement of “Wildflower” (Billie Eilish / Finneas) reframes the song as a contemporary jazz ballad without losing its melodic essence. Muted trumpet and spacious pacing allow the music to be reshaped in a manner that is respectful and imaginative.

As the album winds down, the focus narrows. “Sunset Tale” shifts into a trio setting, opening the sound while sharpening the interaction. Hilton’s unhurried playing highlights touch, time feel, and the subtle conversation between piano, bass, and drums.

The closing “Spacious Skies” is a solo piano piece that distills the album’s values into their purest form. Centered on Hilton’s contemporary jazz touch and harmonic sensibility, the piece brings Extended Daydream to a restrained, reflective close, quiet, but complete.

Rather than relying on dramatic peaks, Extended Daydream succeeds through continuity of an ensemble that listens. Lisa Hilton’s writing and playing invite the listener into an extended moment that keeps opening outward, guided by listening as much as by intention.