Andrew Hill died today

[Alexander Hawkins]

Ethan Iverson has a nice piece on the Bad Plus blog. He uses 2 photos from my friend Terry Martin. You can see it HERE.

Nice piece - thank you. And to have heard the band in the photos...

I was there.

Wow! What 'territory' would a band like this have met on? Standards? Hill's tunes?

[clifford_thornton]

I keep listening to Smokestack over the years. I know this isn't popular opinion, at least around here, but this album does something for me that the others don't. He swings like hell, but in a very idiosyncratic way and the music on the whole is really settled in a way that his other albums from this era are not. They seem to have a jittery nervousness, where this album has a more subdued anxiety that would be more a part of a person's personality than a psycological response.

What the hell. That doesn't make any sense... either way, his piano playing is so calm in its anxiousness, swinging and swaying, bobbing and bouncing in and out, hanging on for an extra dot here, attacking the beat there, so fluid and so right on.

That's probably the best thing I've ever read about this album, and I think you nailed it as far as its overall mood.

Heck, you may have just described Hill's entire musical journey, for that matter!

Yes!

[clifford_thornton]

Ethan Iverson has a nice piece on the Bad Plus blog. He uses 2 photos from my friend Terry Martin. You can see it HERE.

Nice piece - thank you. And to have heard the band in the photos...

I was there.

No shit - that's off the hook!

Iverson's on with "Grass Roots." I always really liked that tune a lot, and found it stranger than most people seem to give it credit for.

[Chuck Nessa]

Wow! What 'territory' would a band like this have met on? Standards? Hill's tunes?

Nothing I recognized at the moment. The 1st half was a trio of Hill, Charles Clark and Thurman Barker.

Roscoe and Ware were last minute subs for the 2nd half.

Edited April 23, 2007 by Chuck Nessa

[Larry Kart]

Wow! What 'territory' would a band like this have met on? Standards? Hill's tunes?

Nothing I recognized at the moment. The 1st half was a trio of Hill, Charles Clark and Thurman Barker.

Roscoe and Ware were last minute subs for the 2nd half.

Now I that I see the photos, I was there too. Reynolds Club, U. of Chicago.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Larry Kart

[Larry Kart]

My memory of that concert in the photos is that the music either was all original or sounded as thought it were, and the first half was very Andrew-ish. On the second half with Roscoe, my memory is that Roscoe wanted things to go in a different direction -- less vampy and moody, more hard-edged -- and that his view prevailed, though not without some moments of what seemed to be tension between the principals. I believe, though I can't be sure at this distance, that someone else who was there had a similar impression and someone else who was there said they didn't notice any tension.

[Chuck Nessa]

Lots of tension.

[jazzbo]

Darn! I didn't get to see that! But I've been in that room in the seventies.

Edited April 24, 2007 by jazzbo

[Soul Stream]

Ethan Iverson has a nice piece on the Bad Plus blog. He uses 2 photos from my friend Terry Martin. You can see it HERE.

Thanks Chuck. Although I'm not so sure I agree with his reasoning behind Grass Roots. It seems a little self serving in a way.

[sidewinder]

Enjoying a bit of the WKCR tribute broadcast. Jimmy Woods 'Conflict' now playing (often overlooked in Andrew's discography). Too bad I can't access this broadcast at work.

Edited April 24, 2007 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Closely followed by two tracks from Hank's 'No Room For Squares'. That piano intro to 'Carolyn' is one of the greatest piano intros ever, followed by a great, great Hill solo. Doesn't get better !

Do I really have to leave this and get in the car for work?

Edited April 24, 2007 by sidewinder

[sal]

I'm getting to this thread late after being on vacation this past weekend, and am extremely saddned by this news. I've lost both my favorite author and my favorite living jazz musician in the last two weeks, and the sense of loss is really starting to kick in. I've shared my thoughts on Mr. Hill several times on this board, but I'd just like to say that I can count on my hand the number of jazz musicians whose music I can honestly say changed my life, and Andrew was one of them. He will be missed deeply. We should be so grateful for all the amazing music that he left us. He has a legacy like no other; his sound is truely one of a kind in the world of music. I feel blessed that his music became part of my life.

Edited April 24, 2007 by sal

[sal]

I keep listening to Smokestack over the years. I know this isn't popular opinion, at least around here, but this album does something for me that the others don't.

I hear ya there....absolutely LOVE Smokestack!

What you say about the album doing something for you that others don't....I think that's the main reason his music appeals to me so much, because all his albums are unique statements. Each of them makes me feel different, almost like they are all done by different artists. Although they all are distinctively "Andrew Hill", they still all "sound" different. Its hard to put into words, but his art covers such a wide range of life. What a loss.

[bolivarblues]

Smoke Stack has always been my least favorite of Hill's 60s Blue Notes (though I don't own and haven't heard Lift Every Voice). As previously stated, Hill's records seem to have very distinct moods and directions and for someone reason the two bass and piano thing doesn't do it for me. He seems at his best when accompanied by a great horn player, such as Joe Henderson on Point of Departure and Black Fire, John Gilmore on Andrew!, and the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, Sam Rivers, Charles Tolliver, Woody Shaw, Joe Farrell, Dizzy Reece, Bennie Maupin, et al.

However, after playing a bunch of his records following his death, I ordered the Smoke Stack RVG (I've got the 1995 Connoisseur Series version) in order to give it another go and see if it might finally rub off on me. You never know, other records have taken this long or longer to reveal themselves to me, which is why I try to never fully give up on something.

BTW, listening to Hill's first five Blue Notes last week reinforced what I've believe all along, which is that Point of Departure is not only Hill's finest recording, but also one of the finest jazz recordings of the 60s. Also, I really began to enjoy Judgment even more than previously. The first listening was so powerful that I had to immediately play it again before moving on to Point of Departure (I was working chronologically). Along with the excellent horn players that help make his recordings so special, Hill has always had a fiery drummer (Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Joe Chambers, Tony Williams, Billy Higgins) to help move things along forcefully. Elvin Jones is a shining example here, with some of his most aggresive playing on record.

Edited April 25, 2007 by Frankie Machine

[vibes]

Me and Andrew...

Only got to hear the man perform live once, up in Iowa City about 4 or 5 years ago. Spoke with him very briefly afterwards too, where the picture above was taken.

I'm glad I got to see Andrew perform (and meet Mr. _Ties!) on that date as well. A very memorable experience.

[Chuck Nessa]

Welcome back Vibes.

[vibes]

Thanks, Chuck. It's been a while.

[Guy Berger]

I think that's the main reason his music appeals to me so much, because all his albums are unique statements. Each of them makes me feel different, almost like they are all done by different artists. Although they all are distinctively "Andrew Hill", they still all "sound" different. Its hard to put into words, but his art covers such a wide range of life. What a loss.

An important point. While some other BN artists were making cookie-cutter, by-the-numbers albums during this period, it seems like most of Andrew's were intended to be unique statements.

Guy

[skeith]

I just remembered a little story about Andrew Hill that you may find amusing.

Although I saw him in performance about a dozen or so times, I never really felt comfortable approaching him at a gig.

However, one day, probably 10 or 15 years ago, I was at the J&R cd store in Manhattan and who should I see but Andrew Hill. Andrew was kneeling down attempting to get a copy of the Village Voice from a bundle of papers that had a cord or something holding it together- it had yet to be opened so to speak. He was furiously attempting to break the cord with his fingers which to my eyes were about to become bloody or worse.

I said "Excuse me, Mr. Hill, but would you mind letting me open that for you, I wouldn't want anything to happen to those fingers." He looked at me with a big grin and seemed surprised that I recognized him.

I handed him a Voice and told him I was a big fan - he thanked me and went along his way.

Edited April 25, 2007 by skeith

[sidewinder]

A good obituary in todays Daily Telegraph:

Hill Obit

[AndrewHill]

Hi,

I'm new here, although I was a member of the old BNBB board way back when. I've been reading here for awhile, and I decided to participate. Actually, it was the death of Andrew Hill that really prompted me to join. I first learned of Hill when I bought Judgment on cd back in 1994. I didn't know a thing about him, but that album made an impression on me, and I became a fan immediately. Every album that I've purchased since then has always been rewarding. One of my favorites is But Not Farewell (which I found used for $2.50!). I thought Jackie Mac's death was bad, but Hill's seems even worse. Man, what a drag.

[sidewinder]

Welcome to the board.

Yes indeed, AH's death has certainly left a big shadow over the week. The news shouldn't have been unexpected under the circumstances but is hard because he had so much vital music still to give. Especially with a new Blue Note live session lined up.

I'll dig out the CD of 'But Not Farewell' (and 'Eternal Spirit') during the week to remind myself just how good they were.

[AndrewHill]

Thank you Sidewinder for the 'welcome'. I don't have Eternal Spirit (wish I did) but I do like the inner-play between Osby and Hill as seen on Osby's Invisible Hand. Always thought Hill and Hutch were a good match-up as well, along with Richard Davis.

[jazzbo]

Hi,

I'm new here, although I was a member of the old BNBB board way back when. I've been reading here for awhile, and I decided to participate. Actually, it was the death of Andrew Hill that really prompted me to join. I first learned of Hill when I bought Judgment on cd back in 1994. I didn't know a thing about him, but that album made an impression on me, and I became a fan immediately. Every album that I've purchased since then has always been rewarding. One of my favorites is But Not Farewell (which I found used for $2.50!). I thought Jackie Mac's death was bad, but Hill's seems even worse. Man, what a drag.

HG, thanks for joining us.

Hill's death has colored my week as well. . . .And judgment was also the release that made me really notice Hill and explore his work.

Hill's work keeps giving back to me!

[Clunky]

the release that made me really notice Hill and explore his work.

for me it was the CD issue of Joe Henderson's Our Thing, this was one of my earliest jazz purchases in the late 80's. The pianist really stood out for me, as being very different and interesting. Hooked on Hill ever since.