Hillmen – The Whiskey Mountain Sessions (Firepool Records, 2011)The Whiskey Mountain Sessions contains a series of lengthy jams by Hillmen, a band that features two members of progressive rock band Djam Karet. These recordings made in a studio, but they were recorded live, without any overdubs. Although the band calls their still free improvisation, don’t think about hard to digest free jazz. Instead, Hillmen advance the music using blues, jazz-rock, psychedelia and progressive rock elements.
Hillmen use a mix of vintage and modern music instruments to develop their jams. The lineup on The Whiskey Mountain Sessions includes Pete Hillmen on drums, Gayle Ellett (Djam Karet) on organ and electric piano, Mike Murray (Djam Karet) on guitars, and Ralph Rivers on bass. Two guests appear on a handful of tracks: Steve Re on bass and Brian Carter on acoustic piano.
The Whiskey Mountain Sessions is a captivating demonstration of the progressive side of jam rock.
