Black Fire

[BruceH]

Just got this. It strikes me as excellent. Comments? Opinions, impressions, insights? Feel free.

[.:.impossible]

I.m fan. Andrew Hill's compositions for this session demand some interesting rhythms from the GREAT Roy Haynes! Joe Henderson seems to have been a great choice for the horn player as well! I really like the tenor, piano, bass, drums quartet and this particular date had to have been something new and exciting for other quartets with this instrumentation at the time.

[Guy Berger]

I've had this for a while (bought it on Ebay one or two years ago). It's a great album, my second favorite of the five 60s AH albums I own. I'm not as familiar with it as I should be, but it has some of Joe Henderson's best 1963 playing.

Guy

[Chuck Nessa]

This post brought back memories of a great weekend during the summer/fall of 1964. I went to visit friends in Des Moines to view a Sunday morning religious broadcast (we didn't receive that channel at my home) featuring Tristano, Konitz and Marsh. On Saturday I took advantage of the "big city" record stores/departments available. At the downtown Younkers store I purchased 2 new releases I didn't know about - Black Fire and Dolphy's Conversations. I think I bought the Hill record 'cause it "looked cool". I remember being most impressed with Roy Haynes on Black Fire.

[sonnyhill]

I remember being most impressed with Roy Haynes on Black Fire.

This is the first album where I remember feeling that the drummer really stole the show. Roy Haynes is really impressive on this one.

Black Fire is one of all time greats. It is unique, but still extremely accessible. I hope that this will be in print for a while. It really should be in everyone's library and should hopefully receive more recognition as one of the very best Blue Note sessions.

Can anyone give an opinion as to whether the sound quality is improved over the single cd issue from the early 90s?

Thanks.

Edited July 19, 2004 by sonnyhill

[marcoliv]

i was listening to the TOCJ edition yesterday afternoon and it´s really great. my 2nd favorite Hill session

MCO

[wolff]

I think I have most of Hill's Blue Notes. I too, like the the inclusion of a sax in his albums. I'm no authority on what's best, but I like Black Fire quite a bit. Andrew!, with John Gilmore is the one I play the most.

[B. Goren.]

If my memory serves me correctly, Black Fire is the first session on Hill's Mosaic set (I'm in the office now and can't check it). IMHO, one of the best Mosaic sets ever. If you have the opportunuty to put your hands on this oop set, don't hesitate.

Edited July 20, 2004 by B. Goren.

[BFrank]

I somehow knew that the Mosaic would be a good catch - before it went OOP - even though I wasn't very familiar with his music. So I picked it up and glad that I did. A great collection, for sure.

[Quincy]

This post brought back memories of a great weekend during the summer/fall of 1964... At the downtown Younkers store I purchased 2 new releases I didn't know about - Black Fire and Dolphy's Conversations.

I'll be darned, that combo struck again. I popped in Conversations and immediately thought "holy smokes I should this play this more." As I got towards the end of the album of I went out to check the mail. The RVGs were in the mailbox, and when Dolphy was done with in went Black Fire.

Good score at Younkers!

Edited July 20, 2004 by Quincy

[sidewinder]

If my memory serves me correctly, Black Fire is the first session on Hill's Mosaic set (I'm in the office now and can't check it). IMHO, one of the best Mosaic sets ever. If you have the opportunuty to put your hands on this oop set, don't hesitate.

Disk 1 of the Mosaic kicks off with 'Land of Nod', which is just the most perfect introduction to Hill's music..

[B. Goren.]

If my memory serves me correctly, Black Fire is the first session on Hill's Mosaic set (I'm in the office now and can't check it). IMHO, one of the best Mosaic sets ever. If you have the opportunuty to put your hands on this oop set, don't hesitate.

Disk 1 of the Mosaic kicks off with 'Land of Nod', which is just the most perfect introduction to Hill's music..

I agree.

[Rooster_Ties]

I see "Black Fire" as kind of being the ultimate Andrew Hill album. It's incredibly progressive, with some of Andrew's strongest tunes. But it's still a pretty accessible album too. Thus, it's an excellent choice for the RVG series.

In fact, I've always liked "Black Fire" more than "Point of Departure", which (for right or wrong), has always been the Hill disc most widely heard (or at least in the CD era).

I often don't upgrade my McMasters to RVG's, but I definitely ran out and got "Black Fire" -- for the new linernotes, and for having the alternate takes at the end of the disc. I've already got the Mosaic, but for key artists, like Hill, I usually get the singles too, particularly when they available cheaply, like in the RVG series.

[catesta]

I finally picked this one up, I'm looking forward to playing it later on.

[jazzbo]

Black Fire is one of the very best of the Blue Notes of its time to my ears; this and Smoke Stack are my favorite Hill albums period. (Come on, where's the Smoke Stack RVG?)

[Noj]

I am listening to this cd for the first time.

[Free For All]

I'm just curious....

A lot of people seem to be (understandably) buying this release. Are people buying this who already have the Hill Mosaic? Is it because you want the cover art or do you prefer the RVG sound to that of the Mosaic?

I have the Hill Mosaic. Much as I love this session, I was tempted to pick up the RVG but decided not to. Same thing with other releases that are already part of a set. I'm trying to avoid becoming too much of a collector. Now if there is extra material or a significant improvement in sound, I'm all over it. As far as re-buying titles that come out as RVGs, I feel many of those qualify as significantly improved sound-wise enough to rationalize purchase.

I'm just trying to cut myself off a lil' bit. I need to save up for the new Woody Mosiac.

[Chuck Nessa]

TEHO - to each his own. I think this depends on the size of your collection and your appreciation of the music. I'd say if you don't have around 3000 cds, live with what you have and buy some new music.

[BruceH]

One of the reasons I bought Black Fire is that I DON'T have the Hill Mosaic. From what I heard, this was one of the high points of his Blue Note career, and now I can believe it!

[Rooster_Ties]

I have the Hill Mosaic, but I bought the new RVG for the new liner-notes, and also because I'm a confirmed Andrew Hill nut (and I was also curious about the sound quality improvement, though I didn't expect it to be all that much better).

I normally don't buy all the RVG issues of titles I already have Mosaics for, but there are exceptions -- and this was one of them.

[Guy Berger]

My question is whether Andrew!!! will ever get reissued separately on CD. I slept on the Hill Mosaic but I really want to hear this session.

Guy

[Noj]

Roy Haynes is, dare I say, en fuego here.

[Noj]

"Tired Trade" grabs me from the jump and is magnificent throughout--my favorite in the first three times through. Black Fire is the first full-length Andrew Hill album I've heard, I'm very impressed.

Point Of Departure is on deck...

[skeith]

I love, really love, this session, but I am a big Andrew Hill and Joe Henderson fan and everybody is just so together on this record.

As for the sound quality, as I have previously said, I like the new RVGs and I had the Japanese non-RVG version and sold it after comparing them. I usually find the RVG has a bit more "presence" if that is the right word, than other versions.

I love the compositions on this record and Blumenthal hit the nail right on the head when he said in the liner notes that the lovely track "McNeil Island" is reminiscent of "Monk's Mood" on the Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane record. Not that you would confuse a Monk tune with Andrew's writing (they are both true originals) - or Andrew or Joe - with Monk and Trane - but I always thought that track reminded me of something and it think Blumenthal got it right.

[Claude]

The RVG sounds great and is a HUGE improvement over the Mosaic, which sounds distant and veiled in comparision. The bass notes are also much better audible on the new remaster.

As usual with RVGs, the high treble (cymbals) is a bit overemphasised, but it doesn't affect the other instruments.

Edited July 29, 2004 by Claude