Andrew Hill - Andrew (1964)

ANDREW finds the avant-garde composer and pianist Andrew Hill following up his landmark 1964 LP, POINT OF DEPARTURE, with a more flowing quintet session, featuring the estimable vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and Sun Ra tenor saxophonist John Gilmore (in a rare appearance outside of the Arkestra). This is the Blue Note sound of the '60s at its best, cutting edge yet beautifully produced with room enough for full, exploratory improvisations by all concerned. Hutcherson in particular provides a warm, fluent foil to Hill's more abstract conceptions, and Gilmore's bright tone and energetically structured solos bring even more fire to the mix. Andrew Hill remained somewhat underrated throughout his career, but few musicians of the time possessed his special intellectual integrity, the mark of a true composer. ANDREW captures him in a peak period.

Liner Note Authors: Michael Cuscuna; Don Heckman.

Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (06/25/1964).

Photographer: Francis Wolff.

Personnel: Andrew Hill (piano); Richard Davis (double bass); John Gilmore (tenor saxophone); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Joe Chambers (drums).

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Andrew Hill - Point Of Departure (1964)

The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of POINT OF DEPARTURE includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal.

Digitally remastered using 24-bit resolution by Rudy Van Gelder (1998, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey).

This is part of Blue Note Records "Rudy Van Gelder" Editions series.

Trying to describe Andrew Hill's POINT OF DEPARTURE in words is like trying to explain the pictures made by a kaleidoscope--it's impossible to be completely articulate about something so magically unique. Of course, with an assembled cast that includes Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson, Richard Davis, and Tony Williams all in their creative prime, Hill would have been hard-pressed not to come up with a masterpiece of these proportions. The result is, indeed, a record that is a beacon of the New Thing movement, which was coming to the foreground in the early '60s.

From oddly swinging cuts like "New Monastery" to the intricately mesmerizing "Flight 19," Hill proves to be a both a pianist and composer of incomparable range as he and his legendary sidemen explore the furthest reaches of group improvisation. The churning waltz "Refuge" offers intense ensemble passages that constantly shift colors and textures as Williams drives the group with hurricane-like waves of cymbals. The closing ballad, "Dedication," is a beautifully esoteric piece that, like the kaleidoscope, must be experienced to truly capture its true nature. For most, this will be a DEPARTURE that will take listeners on an indescribable journey.

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 21, 1964. Originally released on Blue Note (4167). Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff.

Personnel: Andrew Hill (piano); Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet); Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Richard Davis (bass); Tony Williams (drums).

Producer: Alfred Lion.

Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.Q (9/99, p.132) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...[Hill] created his own brooding, pulsing, abstract style. There's some miraculous playing on this 1964 date, and Rudy Van Gelder's remastering allows it all to shine through..."

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