LILI HAYDN

Lili Haydn is an accomplished and extraordinarily well traveled violinist. Not yet 30, she's worked with such seemingly incongruous artists as the Rolling Stones and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Christina Aguilera. Bill Laswell--no stranger to incongruity himself, having brokered such seemingly unlikely combinations as Archie Shepp and Whitney Houston and Bootsy Collins and William S. Burroughs--is the perfect producer for violinist/singer Haydn, the pair sharing a similarly holistic vision of music, grounded in the present but steeped in the past and looking to the future. The songs range from the relatively upbeat, melodic--well, you can pretty much assume the word melodic in the description of any song here--breathy pop of "Come Here," to the melancholy longing of "Denied" (featuring Mrs. Coltrane's lovely piano introduction) to the otherworldly, new-age funkadelia of "The Promised Land" with Clinton's spoken introduction and the trademark sound of Mr. Sanders' tenor saxophone.

This is thinking person's pop, a musical stew blending drum and bass with Dvorak and the traditional music of India and China. This CD deserves to be heard and should certainly become a favorite on public radio. More intense than the likes of Enya, more real than Madonna, and miles ahead of most everything else, Lili Haydn's "Light Blue Sun" provides reassurance that popular music can still be meaningful.

Ted Kane (courtesy of the jazzreview.com website)

As those who have read these pages would know, Lili Haydn’s skill as a violinist has been exceptional even as the material to which it has been applied has been questioned. With the release of "light blue sun" on Private Label/Arista, she adds another aspect to her mix, that of a smooth, sophisticated, commercial product. Through elemental titles and moody mantras for the urban jungle, she has released a recording that haunts, like her eyes, beneath its popular veneer. She is motored by the distinctive vision of her co-producer, Bill Laswell, whose work on bass keeps her previous inclination to easy listening music from getting out of control. The 'Beat Construction' of Karsh Kale is masterfully varied and keeps the compositions driving.

More than her violin, it is the voice of Lili Haydn that predominates on this disc. Beckoning submissively, celebrating emotional vulnerability in the text she sings; beginning with "Come Here," she sounds like a breathless Kate Bush. The best tracks on this CD include "Wounded Dove", with Haydn’s dark reading of predatory lyrics over an undercurrent of belly dance rhythms. There is a superb re-working of "Kung Den Cheng Ge" that is attractively arranged by Haydn and striking in its combination of musical genres. Likewise, "Sweetness" features coming-out lyrics by the violinist. Interesting shifts of key insert musical drama into it. In general, it is romantic with a liquid sensuality that is quintessentially feminine.

In contrast, "Seek" (co-penned with Siri Ved K. Khalsa) is pulsating, underlying aggression, accented by impassioned, soulful violining. While slight in substance, it is deep on development of theme. The most personal tracks feature lyrics by Lotus Weinstock. "The Promised Land" is introverted and adrift, a personal statement that is closer to jazz than music. Haydn’s violin and Pharoah Sanders’ saxophone intermingle in searching the soul, seeking to be 'free of the need to be free'. This in contrast to "Denied" whose tortured spirituality turns weepy.

The commercial emphasis is on the track, "Anything". While it sounds a little like Madonna, its 'radio mix' version, though conventionally sexy, showcases its bouncy, catchy hook. This composition is an irresistible, driving supplication.

Of the other tracks, "light blue sun" is New-Agey easy listening, a fate "The Longing" also does not escape. "Home" throbs, which is appropriate for its torch song essence, but its chordal musical structure sounds like late Paula Abdul, albeit with more substance.

The violin is here an accent. The voice is wispy. The musicianship is the very top of the line. Alternately impassioned and lyrical, "light blue sun" is a fascinating study of talent redefining itself and is well worth the attention and care bestowed upon it.

Charles Lonberger (courtesy of the Beverly Hills Outlook website)

Using her violin as an extension of her sensual voice and her voice as an extension of her spirit, Lili Haydn creates an enticing blend of electronica, pop and rock elements on her debut release Light Blue Sun. Her enchanting vocal delivery has alluring qualities that capture the listener’s attention, drawing it deep into her mystical web of layered violin voices. With the tenderness of an angel and the strength of a goddess, Lili takes us into soundscapes of unspeakable beauty and wonder, showing us a world filled with all the joys of life laid out in musical forms. Assisted by legendary producer and bassist Bill Laswell, Karsh Kale (percussion and beat effects) and other guest musicians, Lili’s voice and violin are transformed into a mythic Siren’s call; but these enticing sounds take us into the waters of spirit rather than the rocks. Her futuristic sound is unique and unidentifiable: drifting into the genres of pop, electronica, new age, rock, and ambient with barely a distinction between them. Even though her sound may not be easily categorized, it can be easily and highly recommended to all lovers of 21st century music.

Robert Walmsley (courtesy of the AZNewage website)