Released 2002 (Borealis Records)
2003 Juno Award nominee
2003 Western Canadian Music Award winner (Outstanding Roots Recording)
Track Listing
- Shostakoverture (D. Shostakovich)
- Francis (Frye / Atkinson)
- Moonshiner (Trad.)
- Bulkley Valley Home (feat. Jenny Lester) (Frye)
- Christophe (Trad.)
- Explorations of a Kolomeika (Trad.)
- Begin the Beguine (Porter)
- How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree)
- Sicilian Tarantella / The Berlin Busker’s Polka (Trad.)
- Lover Come Round (Frye)
- Wise Man’s Reel / The Drinkin’ Age (Dolan)
- Covered Front Porch (Frye / Dolan)
- Andre de Sapato Novo
- Postcards (Atkinson)
The Bills released “All Day Every Day” in 2002, following up on the traction of their self-produced self-titled debut from 2000. Recorded in Victoria BC by an emerging producer named Joby Baker (now decorated with multiple Grammy nominations), All Day Every Day brought together some of the Bills’ (still known as The Bills Hilly Band) hottest live arrangements, and a new folio of original music, written collaboratively. While the album strongly emphasized unabashed ecclecticism, the original songs (“Francis”, “Covered Front Porch”) drew the band toward a unique and original sound and identity, lyrically illustrating their West Coast surroundings, and musically weaving from their multitude of cultural influences. All Day Every Day was released on Borealis Records in the summer of 2002.
Following the release of All Day Every Day, The Bills toured heavily throughout Canada and the US. 2003 brought a line-up change (Jeremy Penner joined on Fiddle), and the band’s first tours to the UK and to California.
The album features band members Marc Atkinson (mandolin, guitar, and co-producer), Chris Frye (lead vocals, guitar), Adrian Dolan (accordion, fiddle, piano), Glen Manders (upright bass), and a illustrius cast of guests including fiddlers Beau Klaibert and John Calverley, guest vocalist Jenny Lester, banjo wizards Craig Korth and Paul Dowd, Calvin Cairns (musical saw), and bassist Scott White (later to join as a permanent fixture).
Reviews:
★★★★½
— AllMusic Review
“. . . A masterful statement of boundless artistic promise.”
— Greg Quill, Toronto Star
“The Bill Hilly Band cover a lot of ground, from Shostakoverture to straight-up bluegrass like Bulkley Valley Home. Producer Joby Baker gets the best from the gang here as he did with Mae Moore (Marc Atkinson of that group is co-producer here as well as full-time “Bill Mandolin”). Other moods encountered include klezmer (Explorations of a Kolomeika), Québécois (Christophe) and how about a Sicilian Tarantella? Atkinson’s arrangement of Begin the Beguine with Adrian Dolan’s accordion in the mix is worth the price of the CD alone. Strong in all ways.” ★★★★
— Dean Cottrill, Hour.ca