Point of Departure is a good place to start, but my favorite Hill album is his much later and much less well-known album, Dusk from 1999. That said, Point of Departure (like most of Hill's albums where he is the leader) is playing in that border zone between bop and free jazz, so if outside-the-tradition jazz is not your thing, you may find Hill not to your taste. I am a fan, though. Earlier this year I was obsessed with his music, an obsession triggered by digging Dusk out of a box in my garage. I hadn't listened to it in over a decade and when I put it on, it struck me as so perfectly great--even better than I remembered it. And that launched a few weeks of non-stop listening and relistening to most of his catalog for me.
His songs are very jagged edged right? I always thought It was a trip though that he wrote the title cut from Lee Morgan's "the rumproller" - some soul style blue note jazz with an eye toward the charts!
I got this CD recently because I happened across it and found it’s the earliest album with Jeff Parker (and it also includes Noel Kuppersmith) and listened to it this afternoon while driving to CT. Also of interest to me was that it includes arrangements of the Grateful Dead tunes “China Doll” and “Cassidy”. It really needs another listen under better listening conditions without the roar of the highway, but I was a little disappointed, especially that I only heard Parker during the duet on “China Doll”. Part Mallinger - Monday Prayer to Tunkashila After that, most of the rest of the drive was devoted to this most excellent of shows: Grateful Dead - Wichita, KS • November 17, 1972 (Dave’s Picks 11)
It is an excellent show, but to be fair to myself, the best track on there is the 11/15/72 Playin' from OK City.
Have you tried any of his 1980s Soul Note (Italy) recordings? Especially the trio recordings Strange Serenade with the exceptional Alan Silva and Frederick Waits and also Shades with Clifford Jordan, Rufus Reid and Ben Riley. Among my favourite recordings from one of my favourite pianists. For me, Hill was consistently good, more so than a many of the, um, touted artists, particularly through the 70s and 80s. I'd be curious what you think. Oh, you'll have to get past the Hallmark Card cover art first!
I guess I’ll just address both of these posts at the same time since my comments are going to be in response to Andrew Hill’s music. At one point in time, I owned almost every single Hill release (ended up selling them all). I wanted so badly to like the music and while there were so many interesting musical ideas in his compositions: my biggest problem stems from the odd time signatures and not really making them ‘easy’ or accessible for the listener. I’m certainly not saying I dislike a challenge as there has been music in the past in which I struggled to appreciate --- believe it or not, Monk was a musician I had some difficulty with, but, with Hill, I just feel like the rhythmic aspect of his music makes it difficult to get into and appreciate on a higher level.
I debated using pronunciation. . . that "enunciation" was actually what my Dad says about Ella, and he knows words. I'll stick with it.
Here the mood is mellow. With Kenny Burrell (g), Ronnell Bright (p), Ron Carter (b) & Andrew Cyrille (d). Producer: Esmond Edwards. Recorded at Van Gelder's, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 2/28/61. 1991 CD remastering by Phil De Lancie.
Thanks for the suggestions! I really can’t say I remember much about his later recordings. Does he actually employ a straight rhythm section and one that swings in a bebop/hard-bop fashion or are the rhythms in odd signatures with pronounced, displaced beats? If he uses a straight rhythm section, I may look more into his later recordings. I do know his Blue Note stuff isn’t for me.
Such a great album! I need to pull out all of my Bean albums and give them a run through. Maybe over the weekend.
Listening to one of my last RSD pickups from black Friday. I haven't heard much Etta, but I'm looking to get more now.
Both in the "odd" signatures, but Shades more so and perhaps not unlike his Blue Note work. Strange Sensation is far more reflective. I connected with this one on an emotional (and not just intellectual) level immediately. Btw, I just read your other reply regarding Hill after I posted my recommendations, otherwise I may have not suggested the Soul Notes. Definitely understandable that Hill just doesn't do it for you and judging by your other posts, it's obvious you're up for "challenging" music Betcha, like Monk, he'll just click with you one day. Maybe.
Thanks for the feedback! You never know, perhaps I’m a closet Hill fan that hasn't busted out of that damp, cold attic yet.
As tasty & good as it gets. Two Concord albums on two CDs. Recorded 12/77 & 10/79, Coast Recorders, S.F. Producer: Carl E. Jefferson. Engineer: Phil Edwards.
I always feel a little out of my element listening to this album, this style of singing and composing isn't really something I relate to or crave, but I keep coming back to it -- it's like this weird series of collisions between these two things that keep trying to figure out how to fit together but can't quite get the pieces to interlock. Immersive, if perhaps a bit short of moving.