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Norman and Hayden Farrar welcomed special guest, James Hill, to their “I Know This Guy” podcast. Hill is an award-winning jazz musician and member of the jazz and hip hop sensation, “BADBADNOTGOOD,” from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Continue reading
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Aug 14, 2020 /prREACH/ -- Norman Farrar, popularly known as "The Beard Guy," has teamed up with his son, Hayden Farrar, to bring listeners another captivating speaker on the well-received podcast "I Know This Guy." The father-and-son duo had the pleasure to chat with jazz musician extraordinaire, James Hill.
Listen to the full podcast episode at https://iknowthisguy.com/episodes/06-james-hill/.
James Hill is an award-winning Toronto, Ontario-based pianist and composer who is most known for his work as keyboardist with the jazz and hip hop sensation, "BADBADNOTGOOD." As a co-leader, he has released two albums and two singles with Autobahn Trio. Hill released his debut album entitled, "Higienópolis," on December 20, 2019, as an independent artist and band-leader of the modern jazz trio, "Local Talent." "Local Talent" is a trio comprised of the Canadian musicians, Rich Brown, Ian Wright and James Hill. Hill's compositional style and approach to the piano is rooted in jazz improvisation but draws heavily from classical composition and pop-culture of the 90s, an era which is nostalgic for the young composer.
Aside from his work with ensembles, Hill also composes dynamic music for solo piano and makes indie music in his home studio under the moniker, "Projectwhatever." With over five years of experience performing professionally, Hill has managed to play in over 35 countries and at some of the world's most prestigious festivals, including Glastonbury, Montreux Jazz, Sonar, SXSW, Newport Jazz and many more.
To start things off, Farrar introduces Hill as an internationally known, award-winning musician and collaborator who is part of the Toronto-based jazz ensemble, "BADBADNOTGOOD," a hip hop jazz crossover band that has been filling stadiums everywhere. Hill first joined the band three and a half years ago and describes the band as primarily jazz with collaborations that fit into a range of musical genres. "Currently, we've been touring a lot over the past three years. And we mostly just play, like we do some collaborations with rappers and stuff at live shows if we happen to know someone who's at the same festival or something, but for the most part, we just kind of play like psychedelic jazz kind of rock, a lot of experimental music on stage."
Hill went on to agree with Farrar that there is great power in networking, which can be closely linked with collaboration. "I went to Humber College in Toronto, and probably, I would say, 99% of the people I know today are somehow connected via the network to those connections that I made while I was at school," says Hill.
The Farrars and Hill had an engaging conversation that covered a range of topics, including the "BADBADNOTGOOD" band, the effects of COVID-19 on musicians and connecting with the audience, whether at smaller gigs or massive shows. Hill also discussed his love for jazz and the people who influenced him, his struggles in life and how people could get in touch with him. Hill has recently released two new singles: "Nowhere For Me" and "Promise (feat. Chynna Lewis)."
Farrar is what is commonly known as a "networker." With a career as a self-made entrepreneur spanning 30 years, he has met people from all walks of life and from all over the world. "This podcast is my way of sharing the knowledge of my network with the rest of the world," Farrar explains. Farrar's son, Hayden, is the show's producer and a freelance musician. His experience as a touring musician has opened up his eyes to the importance of strong community values. He shares his father's curiosity for the stories behind everyday people, hoping to inspire others through the life experiences they share.
For those interested in learning more from Norman Farrar and his "I Know This Guy" podcast, please visit the official website at https://iknowthisguy.com/.
About James Hill
James Hill is an internationally known, award-winning musician and collaborator who is part of the Toronto, Ontario-based jazz ensemble BADBADNOTGOOD.
https://www.projectwhatever.com | https://www.facebook.com/james.projectwhatever | https://www.instagram.com/projectwhatever/ | https://www.youtube.com/user/BADBADNOTGOOD
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