Nikki Hill
Here's Nikki Hill
self-released
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Nikki Hill’s
name has been bandied about in the Blues circles I
travel in for some time now but it was just recently
that I was able to see her live here in Colorado and
discover what all the fuss is about. This Blues
woman from North Carolina is a force to be reckoned
with and is out on the road earning her fans, one
fan at a time. Her debut disc, Here’s Nikki Hill,
is aptly named and a high energy ride from top to
bottom so let’s give it a spin.
First tune out of the
box is “Ask Yourself,” and Nikki is calling out her
man to make up his mind to commit to her or move on.
“I’ll give you one more time before I go…cause I’m
not your little so and so…ask yourself if you’re
ready to be my baby…or, baby I’m over you.” This
really should not be a complicated decision from my
perspective but then, I’ve sometimes questioned the
sanity of my gender for years!
Up next is “Her
Destination,” and here we find Nikki warning a rival
for her man to get out of the way or face the
consequences. “I’m going to give you girl, a
warning…before you try to put one on me…the last
little girl to cross my path…is sitting in the deep,
blue sea.” It’s all pretty clear to me and the girl
will heed Nikki’s warning if she’s got a mind at
all. Nikki’s husband, Matt, an accomplished artist
in his own right, is on the guitar and is tearing up
his solo for this tune. Nikki’s proud of her man and
she continues to tell us this in “I’ve Got a Man.”
“I’ve got a love…so sweet and true…he’s so
fine…yeah…I can’t help myself…I hope I
never….never…never…share with nobody else.” Nikki’s
got a good man, one she loves so much and hopefully
it all works out for her sake.
Our next tune, “Right
on the Brink,” finds Nikki’s had enough and she’s
letting her man know it in no uncertain terms. “I
won’t tell you again…boy, I’m way more than
through…quit looking up at the sky, baby…I’m that
storm rolling up on you…right on the brink…yea, I’m
so tired of you.” This boy had better get his act
together or he’s merely a speck in Nikki’s rearview
mirror. Our tempo slows way down on the next cut,
“Gotta Find My Baby,” and here Nikki is wondering
where her man went off to. “I want to…want to…want
to apologize…for whatever I’ve done…I didn’t mean to
hurt him…only harm…I want to find my baby….bring him
on back home.” Nikki’s feeling guilty for the flare
up between them and is more than willing to do
whatever it takes to put their relationship back
together. Hopefully she finds him and is able to
make it right. This theme of reconciliation
continues with Nikki’s cover of “I Know.” “If I
can’t love you right baby…I don’t want you to love
me at all…I know…you don’t love me anymore.”
Nikki’s band consists
of husband Matt on the guitar, Ed Strohsahl on bass
and Joe Meyer on the drums. This was the
configuration I saw at the Outlook in Boulder and
they’re very tight. With the band behind her, Nikki
moves on to another original tune, “Don’t Cry
Anymore.” Another relationship is on its last legs
and it’s just time for Nikki and her lover to go
their separate ways. “I’m not trying…I’m not
standing tall…you just waitin’…you already missed my
fall…it’s not a miracle or prayer…a candle by your
door…it’s all over…so don’t cry anymore.”
“Strapped to the
Beat” is up next and brings the saxophone of Steve
Eisen to the mix. Steve blows a mean horn and it’s
the focus of this tune. “I’m strapped to the
beat…feel it down in my soul…if you move your
feet…to the rock and roll…start your move when he
blows that horn.” A lively tune and one that the
band gives a great deal of energy to. Kind of a
calypso beat provides the backbeat for “Who Were You
Thinking Of?” and here Nikki is completely aware of
the fact that she wasn’t the woman on her man’s mind
when they were making love. “Who were you thinking
of…when we were making love…last night…as it a good
looking stranger or a close friend of mine?” No
matter what the answer is, it’s for sure that Nikki
wasn’t the one on his mind and she’s going to have
to deal with it.
The final cut on
Nikki’s debut disc is “Hymn for Hard Luck,” with a
definite gospel flair to it. “But it’s all
right…it’s all right…your hard luck will come to
pass…just let one…penny ease your mind.”
Nikki’s an amazing
talent and has a rock solid band behind her on this
musical journey of hers. Here’s Nikki Hill
goes way past announcing her presence to “Y’all had
damn well understand I’m here” because we’re going
to be watching and listening to Nikki Hill for many
years to come. Order a copy of this amazing disc
from her
website or catch one of her lives shows and grab
it there. Either way, get a copy for your
collection. Nikki is that good!
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Kyle Deibler