POTS & PANS QUOTES
"Kilson's solos are almost always the highlight of Botti's shows…But this [BK Groove] ain't pretty-boy jazz your grandma smiles to."
--Jazz Times
"Rhythmically influenced by rock styles, these musicians have just as much chops-on display at every opportunity - as the most 'sophisticated' jazzers…BK's groove is one that will grab hold of you, no matter what your musical inclinations. BK's groove is big, loud, and - more impressively - compelling. This style of music has been performed by some phenomenal musicians in the past. While the exploration never ends…the explorers have to make new discoveries. No one wants to see the same old fossils dug up. Pots and Pans explores familiar territory with a fresh approach and incomparable musicality. Fans of fusion should definitely discover Billy Kilson's BK Groove."
--Jazz Improv
"This piece is a great jazz/rock fusion piece that demonstrates the versatility of the group and their ability to explode in an array of awesome rock-inspired notes and progressive jazz elements."
--All About Jazz
"On 'Pots & Pans,' drummist Billy Kilson soulfully expresses with grace, validity, and intellect on why it's imperative to have a diverse palette and be a willing participant to venture beyond the norm in today's market place to garner attention to one's music…Billy Kilson is the absolute real deal"
--Contemporary Jazz.com
"Billy Kilson is one of the world's elite drummers and his newest CD 'POTS & PANS' showcases his talent with a bold and dynamic statement. Billy has many strengths and on this recording his use of dynamics and ability to lay down that mighty groove exceed expectations."
--Jazz Rock World
"POTS & PANS is a highly inspired recording from one of jazz's greatest drummers, Billy Kilson."
--Sounds of Timeless Jazz
"…every track showcases his creativity and musical palette … not only as world class drummer, but also a composer and producer…I highly recommend this album to all drummers, regardless of their personal music genre preferences. I found the entire album to be well produced and a sonic pleasure to listen to … again, and again, and again."
--Drummer Café
"Overall, this is an incredibly strong album that delivers the high-caliber music expected from an artist with the reputation that Kilson has. This release is a can't miss for fans eagerly anticipating fresh music in the tradition of the artists that founded jazz as we know it."
--Jammed Online
Other Billy Kilson Quotes
"Billy Kilson & BK Groove closed the show with a set of contemporary jazz/funk: heavy on backbeat and originality. The tunes featured tight arrangements with mindbending time and style shifts, covering a wide dynamic range. While Billy is one of the genre's more physically animated drummers, when he locks down a groove, it stays locked."
--Modern Drummer
"BK Groove - they made it a festival to remember."
--Drums, Etc.
"Billy Kilson brought the house down during his extended drum solo on 'Why Not?'"
--Smooth Views.com
Berks Jazz Festival Review
"But the secret weapon here is drummer Billy Kilson who elevates the proceedings with an uncanny combination of precision, power and grace. He beautifully underscores the ethereal vibe on 'Bedouin Trail' with subtle use of mallets then erupts with explosive snare-tom accents in the midst of some sizzling ride cymbal-hi hat work on the urgently swinging 'Herbaceous' that mark him as the new heir to Tony Williams' chair. Kilson even offers a tonlling Cobhamesque solo on 'Ario.'"
--Jazz Times
Review of Dave Holland Quintet's Points of View
"Drummer Billy Kilson was, as always, on fire."
--Jazz Views
"Kilson is simply one of the great drummers of jazz history, drawing on influences ranging from funk to hip-hop to bebop and synthesizing them in his own unique palette of rhythmic colors…. The composer's outstanding trombone solo was followed by yet another rhythmic barrage by Kilson, who effortlessly shifted tempos and created polyrhythmic clusters that defy human comprehension. It seems his biological clock is set to a different standard, and he leaves listeners baffled by his complexity."
--Berman Music Foundation
"Billy Kilson is a phenomenal drummer."
--Pop Matters.com
"Billy Kilson, king of the oft-spoken 'young lions of jazz,' has released his debut solo recording, and it's a beaut. 'Alarum' is an explosive minute forty-five, showcasing Billy's chops, dexterity, swing, and speed."
--ModernDrummer.com
"Drummer Billy Kilson nearly stole the show at the end on 'Why Not.'"
--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Kilson is emphatically funky: though quite adept at jazz-type ride patterns (very evident on Cosmosis), backbeats (or devices that function as backbeats) are the rule. Kilsons fills and solos are white-hot pyrotechnic displays from the world of funk and fusion. As such, they provide interesting contrast to the darkly subdued, jazzy group sound."
--JazzWeekly
"Innovative drummer Billy Kilson dazzled."
--Smooth Jazz Now
"The key to Holland's music is the drummer…Billy Kilson effortlessly superimposes and modulates rhythms to provide counterpoint to head arrangements, solos, and Hollands own snaky, unpredictable bass…Kilson's fills and solos are white-hot pyrotechnic displays from the world of funk and fusion. As such, they provide interesting contrast to the darkly subdued, jazzy group sound."
--Jazz Weekly
Dave Holland Quintet's Not For Nothin' review
"Billy Kilson, "the engine of the Botti band," who Botti introduced as one of the most sought-after drummers on the jazz and fusion scene. Kilson delivered a solo that had the audience gasping for breath."
--South Dakota Store.com
Sioux Falls JazzFest Review
"Billy Kilson on drums stole the show constantly with his laser sharp staccato drum rhythms. Ouch. It was like stepping into another world for two hours in that intimate theatre in Spartanburg."
--Giant Steps
"Billy Kilson, who melds a jazz drummer's precision with a rocker's exuberance, drops thunderous fills on the title track -- and imparts a contagious playfulness throughout."
--MOJO Mother Jones
"Simply put, Thursday's concert was, without question, the best I've seen at the Guild. Ever. From the elastic improvisations from saxophonist David McMurray to the showmanship and chops of drummer Billy Kilson and the rock-solid grooves courtesy of bassist Al Turner, the pianist and his quartet offered so much music you didn't want to leave. The band -- and mark my words, it was a band -- also did two encores, unheard of for a Guild show. Kilson's performance was especially solid throughout."
--Post-Gazette
Bob James Trio concert review
"Billy Kilson, one of the hottest young drummers in jazz."
--Playback, Stl
"Holland and drummer Billy Kilson inject even the most obscure time signatures with irresistible élan and a deep, funky precision. Kilson is unstoppable, sending the crowd into ecstacies with furious, timestretching eruptions that somehow always end precisely where they should, while the bassist gives his usual mix of flawless timekeeping and wiry, muscular lyricism."
--BBC
Review of Dave Holland Quintet's Extended Play - Live at Birdland Review
"Extra kudos go to Holland's drummer, Billy Kilson, who redefined the ways that the drums can be played. The drummer was bursting with energy, élan and enthusiasm and he led the band into unimaginable rhythmic directions."
The Vermont Review
--Dave Holland concert, Festival International De Jazz De Montreal
"…drummer Billy Kilson is emerging as a major force within jazz circles."
--Best of New Orleans.com
"As with the other records, there is also that element of restlessness that comes from the group's excited forward energy, largely propelled by Kilson's extraordinary, smart drumming. It is rare that a percussionist submits a memorable composition in an ensemble jazz recording, but Kilson, who gave us the climactic "Wonders Never Cease" on Prime Directive, further crystallizes his own talent with the infectious 'Billows of Rhythm'."