Andrew Hill

[LWayne]

Andrew Hill "Black Fire" RVG Edition. Forgot how good this is...

LWayne

[DMP]

It's pretty good in EVERY edition!

[Big Wheel]

I transcribed the title track in high school. The interesting part is the bridge, during which, IIRC, Hill is playing a G flat and D flat with his left hand, but a G, C, and F in his right (before he takes the voicing up a half step). Not exactly a typical harmony.

[jostber]

Incredible Hill album, love this one!

[Rooster_Ties]

When I recommend a Hill album to someone who's never heard one, that's usually the one I mention.

"Black Fire" is the gateway drug.

[Dan Gould]

I like it but I guess that like pot was for me, it was no gateway to anything "harder".

[AndrewHill]

I sorta worked backwards in this order to Black Fire out of those flurry of incredible dates that started his BN career:

Judgment!

Point of Departure

Smoke Stack

then finally Black Fire.

I still like Judgment! best out of this batch, but Black Fire is still a great date. On the other hand when it comes to his entire BN output, I reach for other Hill dates more often than BF, like Compulsion!!!, Dance with Death, Andrew!!! or Passing Ships. Oh screw it, I love them all!

[Rooster_Ties]

I had Point of Departure for 2-3 years back in college in the early 90's (filing it under Dolphy at the time, because it seemed like his voice dominated).

Then I bought the big Hill Mosaic (my 3rd ever Mosaic, after Don Cherry (to get my feet wet), and the Jackie McLean).

It was a good 3-5 years more before I really started to "get" Hill. "Black Fire", being the first date on the Mosaic, I probably listened to most, and connected with the fastest (didn't hurt that Joe Henderson was/is almost my favorite tenor player).

To this day, I generally break out the big Hill box once or twice a year, and listen all the way through top to bottom. I often go a couple months or more without listening to ANY Hill at all -- but when I do, I generally listen to a LOT for a few days or more.

What I like most about Hill, is that his music always sounds fresh to me, and still has lots of surprises even after years of repeated spins.

[Sundog]

"Black Fire" is the gateway drug.

For me Hill's playing on Our Thing, the Joe Henderson date, is what hooked me big time.

[CJ Shearn]

Black Fire is a great album, Roy Haynes swings his butt off.