Rooster_Ties

Althea's vocals notwithstanding, I really like most of Larry Young's post-Unity work on BN. As has been discussed much of late, "Mother Ship" is outstanding (5-stars, IMHO), but I really like the other three BN albums as well: 1966's "Of Love and Peace" certainly is a bit on the loose side, but it definitely has lots of great moments - and features some prime Eddie Gale (tp), Herbert Morgan (ts), and James Spaulding (as & fl). Could have used some more rehearsal probably, but even as it is - I usually give it 4-stars. 1967's "Contrasts" maybe comes in a close second behind "Of Love..." - but with Tyrone Washington (ts), how could you go wrong?? Plus some more Herbert Morgan (ts), and some interesting contributions from Eddie Wright (g). 3 and 1/2 stars from me. 1968's "Heaven on Earth" is probably my least favorite of the four later Young BN dates, but even it has it's moments. Some days 3-stars, some only 2 and 1/2 -- depends on my mood.

Hmmmm. Never heard of "Ming Tea". Nothing on the AMG about it. Do tell!!

Got mine yesterday, and gave it a good spin. Great disc, but off the top of my head - I'm not sure I could readily ID anybody on the disc. Will listen some more tomorrow and over the weekend. Should have a full report on Monday (which is likely to read: huh? who dat??)

There's a bunch of "ring modulated" piano on Carla Bley's "Escalator Over The Hill" -- and I too had always wondered what the heck that really was. Thanks!!!

There was apparently an interview (or some sort of feature) about Andrew Hill in Cadence Magazine, Vol. 1, Issue #10 (probably from 1976, if I reading right). Anybody have this, or better yet - know if this has been reproduced on-line anywhere??? What's it like?? Cadence supposedly has back issues, for $5 -- and surprisingly this isn't one that's sold-out yet. Is this worth getting a hold of??? (CADENCE MAGAZINE Back Issues Page)

The system is down

SOURCE [Also, from the date on Hill's website (where I got this link from), this interview appears to be from May 2000. -- Rooster]

Clearly Hill was in a different place creatively in 1967-70, than he was in 63-66. But I say "different", because I don't necessarily think the later material is particularly 'worse' or 'sub-standard', as compared to the earlier material. Just different, and (yes) somewhat more accessable. Sure, the earlier stuff is probably more important, and more likely to 'stand the test of time' - as it were. But I love most of that later Hill BN material too - for what it is... a solid attempt to present Hill's concepts in a more accessable context - but without being a total sellout in the process. Sure the recordings don't quite gel as much as one would hope, though I'd argue that "Passing Ships" and "Lift Every Voice" nearly do - in their own ways. And "Life Every Voice" in particuar (plus the extra previously unreleased session with vocals) has some really deep shit on it, that didn't start to sink in with me until several dozen listens. It's not 'firey', but more like a smoldering fire, after it's been going all night, but still is putting out a ton of heat. I just think the 67-70 material has to be assessed on it's own terms, almost as if the earlier (more 'out') Hill never happened before. In fact, I think generally the more progressive types (like many of us here) would embrace the 67-70 Hill recordings more strongly, if it weren't for his earlier groundbreaking work. Let me put it to you this way... I kind of think of Hill's 67-70 output (vs. his 63-66 output) as being much like my views on Larry Young and John Patton in the late 60's... I love Larry Young's last four BN albums (everything after "Unity") - especially the really 'out' ones. And I also love John Patton's later BN work from the same time period. Now Young's output is more 'out' and probably stronger (to my way of thinking). But Patton's later BN output (while not quite as groundbreaking), is still some mighty deep shit too - in it's own way. So too is it with Hill's 67-70 output. It's not as strong as his earlier music, but some of it (and I'd argue, most of it) is still pretty damn deep - you dig??

SOURCE

Shit, I had half-forgotten about that story Eric. You still needin' burns of any of the Hill box?? Say the word, and I'll get right on it. I can make you a copy of the booklet too.

I don't want to make too much of this, but I've always been impressed by Hill having studied briefly with Hindemith - a German classical composer who I've really grown to like over the years. I'm not sure I hear any similarities in their music (none, really), but I've always found it interesting that Hindemith saw something in Hill's early compositions, and encouraged him in various music ways. Hey, anybody know about Hill having a Doctorate degree?? - presumably in music composition??? I know he taught for sometime at a college or university in Portland, OR. Where and when did he get the Doctorate?? Wouldn’t that imply that he had to have written a doctoral thesis????? Wouldn’t that maybe be an interesting read??? He was also a church musician for sometime in the 70's (presumably leading a choir, and playing on Sunday mornings -- the whole bit). And (I think I remember reading this somewhere), didn't he do concerts in prisons in the 70's??? Man, oh, man -- somebody needs to write a book about this man. (My wife thinks I ought to write it - and occasionally I'm half tempted to take a stab at it.)

Repeat after me. He's from Chicago. He's from Chicago. He's from Chicago. I know, you've read a dozen times about him being born in Haiti (and you can do a Google search on "Andrew Hill Haiti" and get about 100 hits). But seriously, he was born in Chicago. He just made up the "Haiti" part, and for a time even spelled his name "Hille" (on Jimmy Wood's "Conflict" - for instance), to make his name and background seem more exotic. Supposedly it was of some (perhaps only tiny) help to him in getting gigs, really early on - in the 50's mostly, I suspect. I think I have at least half-a-dozen Hill CD's that cite his having been born in Haiti -- but it ain't true. I think this is covered in the Mosaic booklet -- I'll have to dig it out later, and type up the "Haiti/Chicago" part.

I took a look at all three videos just now (I was half-asleep when I started this thread late last night), and you do have to marvel at the degree to which they've gone to mimic the style of "hair-bands" of the late 70's. The sound is there, and the look is there too. Really damn creepy, on some levels - and maybe remarkable on other some other level. Maybe I can begin to understand why this is taking off in England -- cuz I can imagine people being amazed at the degree to which it's just like turning back the clock ( That, and probably some serious media saturation and heavy rotation on the right radio stations. )

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Damn it, Jim; we don't care about your squirrel...stay on topic for crying out loud!

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Studio plans 'Fan Interference' movie --- Report: Movie already planned based on Cubs fan blamed for keeping his team out of World Series.

Bev, you were just the first U.K. person around here that I thought of. And "cricket", what's that?? Please explain. The funny thing about all this (according to the AMG bio), is that this band all strarted with the lead singer belting out a fantastic verison of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in some karaoke bar on New Year's Eve in 1999.

Oh man, I totally believe that - 150%!!!!

Great, thanks to jpmosu and jazzbo... Now I simultaniously have absolutely NO interest in seeing "Kill Bill"... ...and I also can't wait to see it, perferably as soon as this weekend!!!

Thanks Bev!!! I'm quoting your mention of this concert being on the BBC website, in case anyone skimmed your above post, and maybe missed it. Sounds very interesting. I look forward to listening to it.

I have most of Hill's solo piano releases (expect "From California with Love" and "Les Trinitaires"), plus there's an hour of solo-piano on Hill's own web-site (HERE, go to the "mp3's" section, and it's right below the samples from "A Beautiful Day"). I love nearly all of Hill's solo-piano work, though I've had a tougher time getting into "Faces of Hope" (and I don't feel like I've really embraced it quite yet). "Hommage" is great and surprisingly mellow (and deceptively simple, while being more complex than it lets on, I think). I put this on when my wife are drifting off to sleep sometimes (seriously!!) - so if that doesn't tell you how 'mellow' it is, nothing will. "Live at Montreux" for some reason reminds me a little bit of Ellington's solo-piano recordings (or maybe Ellington reminds me of Hill ). And it's not just the one Ellington tune he covers on this disc - but rather the entire disc. And... "Verona Rag" has some great stride-work on it (as I receall), and a couple very strong tunes as well. Also, Hill has some extended solo-piano passages (or entire cuts) on a few of his other albums. If I remember right, the title track to "Divine Revelation" has a nearly 10-minute solo-piano intro (the tune is 25 minutes long), that is simply stunning.

To my surprise, the AMG has a review of damn near my favorite 'unofficial' Matthew Sweet release. Mine probably isn't an original, but who cares - the music is fantastic. 5-stars in my book.

Speaking more generally about Sweet - I've loved nearly every disc he's released since "Girlfriend" in 1991, and his earlier material is even interesting too. I first discovered him with "100% Fun" in 1995 (that I got a free promo of at some radio station live remote), but I quickly bought up his entire catalog. (Somehow I missed "Girlfriend" when it first came out.) The only Sweet album I haven't been quite as fond of is "Blue Sky on Mars" - which wasn't nearly up to his usual standards. But with "In Reverse" from 1999, he was back on track. About 1996-97, I saw Sweet and his band perform 3 times within like 18 months, either here in Kansas City, or in Lawrence, Kansas (about an hour west from here). Great shows!! I'd go see him again, anytime.

My god, it's worse than even I had feared!! We need to develop a "neo-hair-band" emergency alert system for the U.S. - PRONTO!!! "We have to take the possible threat of neo-'hair-bands' very seriously. Somebody get me Tom Ridge on the phone, now!"