Andrew Hill

[John L]

I am a big fan in particular of Black Fire, Compulsion, Point of Departure, and Smokestack.    Let me also give a second endorsement to Joe Henderson's Our Thing. That is also essential Andrew. 

[erwbol]

On 27 Feb 2016 at 3:44 AM, JCR1992 said:

Thank you guys for giving me so many recommendations. I decided to get Black Fire, Judgement, and Pax. Nobody mentioned Pax but I saw Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson are on it so it has to be pretty good I would assume. I want to get Dance with Death but I could not find it anywhere for a reasonable price. 

I have a near mint (disc and artwork) copy of the Connoisseur of Dance With Death. No scratches under lamplight. It's a US pressing so no EMI copy control, but I would have to ship from Europe. (Same for Andrew!!!.)

Shipping would be €6.25 for a single CD (, and probably more for both discs because the weight then exceeds 250 grams).

 

PS From a sonic and monetary perspective you're probably better off getting the recent Japanese budget reissue that's now out-of-print (TOCJ-50282, link), though these 2012 remasters were not as well received here as the SHMs a year later. (Possible rolled-off-top according to some.)

To my ears the Japanese disc clearly has a full(er) dynamic range, so you have to crank it up a bit, and though the Connoisseur is a bit more trebly, it does not contain what I would perceive as extra information in the top end. If you're going to listen on a nice stereo in your living room I'd get the Japanese disc. For earbuds in a noisy environment mp3s of the Connoisseur would possibly be a better choice.

 

Edited February 28, 2016 by erwbol

[Guy Berger]

Anybody else find Dance With Death somewhat overrated?

[HutchFan]

38 minutes ago, Guy Berger said:

Anybody else find Dance With Death somewhat overrated?

Can't say that I do. I really dig it.

Dance with Death and Passing Ships, from the following year, are some of my favorite Andrew Hill records. I really like Joe Farrell. And his presence on both of those records is one of the reasons that I enjoy them both so much.

[jlhoots]

26 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Can't say that I do. I really dig it.

Dance with Death and Passing Ships, from the following year, are some of my favorite Andrew Hill records. I really like Joe Farrell. And his presence on both of those records is one of the reasons that I enjoy them both so much.

I like Dance With Death.

There are a couple of "board fades" that I could live without, but the playing in general is excellent.

Also listened to Pax recently, & it was better than I remembered.

Edited February 29, 2016 by jlhoots

[JSngry]

I wouldn't say that it's "overrated" as much as I would that there's enough other Andrew Hill records (including post-BN) that make it a lower priority item for me.

A few sleepers - Blue Black with Jimmy Vass, Chris White & Leroy Williams, Nefertitti with Richard Davis & Roger Blank, and Invitation, with Chris White & Art Lewis. They all have the "liquidity" of pulse that makes Hill's music speak its truest, imo.

[crisp]

On 26 February 2016 at 4:26 AM, JCR1992 said:

I know Point of Depature is widely considered his best and most famous album and I am not that crazy about it. I listened to for the first time when I was 12 years old and now I'm 24 and I like it a little bit more but not enough to buy at the moment. 

 

It's not just me then. PoD actually put me off Hill until I heard more by him and was converted. Blonde on Blonde had a similar effect on me regarding Dylan. Bottom line: don't (always) believe the fans/critics.

[HutchFan]

22 minutes ago, crisp said:

It's not just me then. PoD actually put me off Hill until I heard more by him and was converted. Blonde on Blonde had a similar effect on me regarding Dylan. Bottom line: don't (always) believe the fans/critics.

Yep. "YMMV" is ALWAYS true. 

[Guy Berger]

59 minutes ago, JSngry said:

I wouldn't say that it's "overrated" as much as I would that there's enough other Andrew Hill records (including post-BN) that make it a lower priority item for me.

Yeah, not a bad album by any means!  But RateYourMusic has it scoring higher than Point of Departure, Black Fire, Andrew!!!, Judgment, and Shades.  Vox populi, vox dei!

Guy

[JSngry]

Who is "Rate Your Music"? That seems a little, uh, quriky.

[king ubu]

aka RYM ... though why even bother.

But I'm in the love "Dance with Death" camp though generally I feel Hill never quite (but in the best moments almost) reached the heights of the first years again.

[Guy Berger]

On 2/25/2016 at 9:38 PM, BFrank said:

"Dusk" (2000) is a pretty good late era, Andrew Hill album.

This wonderful album and a lot of other items from the Palmetto catalogue were just added to Spotify.

[BFrank]

11 hours ago, Guy Berger said:

This wonderful album and a lot of other items from the Palmetto catalogue were just added to Spotify.

Thanks for the heads up. It's in Amazon Music, too - maybe other Palmettos as well (?)

[bertrand]

Did anyone download the bonus tracks to One Beautiful Day that were briefly available on the Palmetto site?

[ejp626]

I don't think anyone recommended Hutcherson's Dialogue, but I think it's swell session with several Hill compositions.

[djcavanagh]

On 25/09/2020 at 9:06 AM, bertrand said:

Did anyone download the bonus tracks to One Beautiful Day that were briefly available on the Palmetto site?

I thought that I had them but can't seem to find them on my server, so perhaps not. I'd be interested if anyone else has them.

 

 

[bertrand]

12 hours ago, djcavanagh said:

I thought that I had them but can't seem to find them on my server, so perhaps not. I'd be interested if anyone else has them.

 

 

Me too.

[Joe]

My first Hill and still among my favorites.

And, if we are talking sideman appearances...

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Michael Cuscuna tells me that 2months ago, Blue Note had Malcolm Addey go back to the 8 track analog masters for "Passing Ships" to remaster them for the new analog cut for a Tone Poet LP release.

[Steve Reynolds]

Was VERY fortunate to see Andrew Hill and his group back in 1999 or 2000 about the time Dusk was released. With old friends from Jazz Corner/Jazz Central Station. The band included Chris Potter, Ron Horton, Scott Colley & Billy Drummond.

it was a spectacular set at The Knitting Factory. I remember that Potter was outrageous as was Drummond IIRC

 

RIP, Sisco

 

 

peace and blessings

 

[Jim Duckworth]

I am apparently part of the movement for whom this is a go to.  Interestingly, Point of Departure isn't getting the nod that once was seemed automatic when assessing Andrew Hill's output.

[JSngry]

44 minutes ago, Jim Duckworth said:

Interestingly, Point of Departure isn't getting the nod that once was seemed automatic when assessing Andrew Hill's output.

It still gets a nod here, but it's neither the top choice nor the only choice.

The first Blue Notes are foundational, both as a group and as individual records. But...they imprint, strongly imprint. So they are not necessarily where I go first to relax and enjoy an Andrew Hill record, although yes, any "list" of "essential" Andrew Hill records begins with those, especially Black Fire and Judgement!.OTOH, fuck lists.

So....my "go to" Andrew Hill records, the ones I go to when I'm not wanting to study or binge are these:

+

and then two that are not really "definitive", but ones that I like for their unique personalities

[Clunky]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

It still gets a nod here, but it's neither the top choice nor the only choice.

The first Blue Notes are foundational, both as a group and as individual records. But...they imprint, strongly imprint. So they are not necessarily where I go first to relax and enjoy an Andrew Hill record, although yes, any "list" of "essential" Andrew Hill records begins with those, especially Black Fire and Judgement!.OTOH, fuck lists.

So....my "go to" Andrew Hill records, the ones I go to when I'm not wanting to study or binge are these:

+

and then two that are not really "definitive", but ones that I like for their unique personalities

Eternal Spirit was my first exposure to Hill or Hutcherson as I recall. That led to my buying "Our Thing" which introduced Kenny D and Joe Henderson which the led to etc... etc.....I still rate Eternal Spirit

[Guy Berger]

I was a little underwhelmed by Eternal Spirit but really enjoy Shades.

[JSngry]

I like Eternal Spirit because it was kind of a "comeback" album as far as Hill as a bandleader. I guess he had been playing around with bands that were a bit on the sloppy side, under-rehearsed and not all that concerned with playing the heads with the attention they deserved. With this band, with the new kid in Osby and the old guard with Hutch, I felt that Hill's music was once again being played by a band, not just a group. There's a difference, because a band playing these compositions really highlights how much detail there is in them, detail that is at once oblique and familiar, the way Hill's music is best played/heard/experienced imo. The obliqueness usually takes care of itself, but the familiarity needs the attention of good players who work on it first and get it internalized. Not for nothing diod Blue Note rehearse its dates before recording...

How it would hold up to somebody who wasn't there to hear it in its time (or, I guess, to people who were), I have no idea, but I found it a kick, and still do.