Lilly

LILLY (aka Lilly-Ann Hertzman) is a jazzsinger, songwriter and producer who has been internationally praised and acknowledged for her authenticity, emotionally deep and personal expression as a jazzvocalist and for creating evocative songs and soundscapes of a rare kind and sound as a songwriter. Her inspirations are many and goes across multiple genres with jazz and singer-songwriter as the main ones. Her origins also cross borders, with a mother from Japan and a father from Denmark.

Lilly has released five critically acclaimed albums, with the latest and the previous album in particular receiving an overwhelmingly positive response by jazzcritics from the US, Germany and Scandinavia. The 2017 duo album Tenderly feat. Gilad Hekselman was voted Top 5 Best Vocal Release 2017 by The New York City Jazz Record,

Her latest album, The Song Is You (2021), was released by Challenge Records Intermational, and was recorded in New York with two great musical talents and Rising Stars on the international jazz scene, guitarist Gilad Hekselman (ISR) and cornetist Kirk Knuffke (US), and they are looking forward to playing concerts together this autumn in Denmark and Germany.

German Jazzthing a.o.wrote this about The Song Is You: "...her versions present themselves as artistic with a personal expression. Therefore, her interpretations offer an emotionally deep, truthful view, due to which these standards thus become her own songs".

Danish musicmagazine GAFFA gave it 5 out of 6 stars like her former album and a.o. wrote: “..again-again with mature weight, sensuality and character. It's as if Lilly, along with Hekselman - and now Knuffke - have found an authenticity, intensity and nerve that suits both her and the songs and the music. The Song Is You is immensely successful for the same reason" .

In addition to Gilad Hekselman and Kirk Knuffke, Lilly has played, recorded and collaborated with some of the finest, most talented and versatile creative musicians in Scandinavia, Europe and the United States. Among them Lew Soloff (US), Aaron Parks (US), Gustaf Ljunggren (S), Anders AC Christensen (DK), Jonas Berg (S), Jeppe Kjellberg (DK), Thommy Andersson (S), Krister Jonsson (S), Jacob Fischer (DK).

Quotes:

“Lilly and Hekselman’s arrangements reach almost the impossible of regenerating standards like the title track, “You Go To My Head”, “Skylark” and “Day Dream” to the point of ownership rather than reinterpretation”(...) “Tenderly is a truly suburb recording, which rightly raises the expectations for her next effort”
- The New York City Jazz Records (2017)

“.. listening to her, while she is being accompanied by Gilad - that has the stuff of legend” (....) Lilly’s authenticity is unsurpassable”
— Jazz Podium, March 2018 (German jazzmagazine since 1952)

“Lilly has taken the title to heart. She becomes one with these jazz songs. The singer has created very personal interpretations together with the Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman and the US cornet player Kirk Knuffke” - Bayerishe Rundfunk (about The Song Is You, 2021)