Andrew Hill - Pax (1965 - relased 2006)

Originally recorded in 1965, and released piecemeal on other collections (ONE FOR ONE and MOSAIC SELECT), the sessions for PAX didn't appear in their entirety until 2006. The revered pianist Andrew Hill is in superb company here, with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Richard Davis, and Joe Chambers on board to help carve out slices of unique, knotty post-bop. Hill is a master of merging the best elements of the avant garde and the mainstream, and the too-long-shelved PAX is proof positive of that skill. Better a Blue Note gem late than never.

Photographer: Francis Wolff.

Personnel: Andrew Hill (piano); Joe Henderson (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Richard Davis (upright bass); Freddie Hubbard (cornet); Joe Chambers (drums).

Liner Note Author: Michael Cuscuna.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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..."

DOWNLOAD HERE

Andrew Hill - Black Fire (1963)

Pianist Andrew Hill's most notable contribution to jazz may be his ability to creatively combine bebop with the avant-garde. On 1963's BLACK FIRE, the oft-misunderstood jazz composer creates a tonal landscape that is at once steeped in bop, yet ambitiously searching for new harmonic and structural vistas.

Joined by legendary drummer Roy Haynes, tenor great Joe Henderson, and bassist Richard Davis, Hill performs a set of nine originals that seek to push the musical envelope. Each musician explores melody, harmony, and rhythm in ways they normally didn't, particularly Henderson, who expertly adapts his style and sound to the tricky compositions of Hill. Every member of the quartet gets a chance to stretch on this album, and there is more "soloing equality" on BLACK FIRE than on most late-'50s or early-'60s records. Indeed, this was the dawning of a new age in jazz, and Hill was one of this era's greatest pioneers. Standout tracks include the moody and rubato "McNeil Island" and the knotty "Pumpkin."

Additional Tracks

Liner Note Authors: A.B. Spellman; Bob Blumenthal.

Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (11/08/1963).

Photographer: Francis Wolff.

Personnel: Andrew Hill (piano); Andrew Hill; Richard Davis (bass instrument); Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Roy Haynes (drums).

Audio Remasterer: Rudy Van Gelder.

RS LINK
DOWNLOAD HERE