relyles

You are right. Just ignore my frustrated rants.

Because there is a lot more to the art form than what was recorded by one engineer for one label more than thirty years ago? Sorry. I know that I am the lone voice on this side of the issue and I am not one of the board's elite, but this is not the BNBB. So why do I often get the feeling we are trying to recreate the BNBB under the guise of organissimo?

I have, and I can, with the stipulation that this is VERY early Andrew Hill functioning in a "conventional" piano trio format. Still, "conventional" and "interesting" need not be mutually exclusive, and they are not here. Besides, there's a few moments (and moments is all they are) where the voice of Andrew Hill as we know and love him today show through. Largely, but not exclusively, of historical interest as far as Andrew Hill goes, and enjoyable enough regardless of who it is. What Jim said.

Probably my favorite instrumentation. Here are a few that I do not think have been mentioned: Dave Holland w/ Steve Coleman and Jack DeJohnette - Triplicate Tobias Delius - Toby's Mloby (Actually tenor-bass-cello-drums, but a great recording) David Murray w/ Richard Davis and Joe Chambers - The Hill Jimmy Halperin/Don Messina/Bill Chattin - Cycle Logical Lew Tabackin - Tanuki's Night Out Ed Blackwell w/ Dewey Redman and Cameron Brown - Walls-Bridges Thomas Chapin - Sky Piece Kahil El'Zabar w/ David Murray and Fred Hopkins - Love Outside of Dreams Joe Lovano/Anthony Cox/Ed Blackwell - Sounds of Joy Open Loose (Ellery Eskelin, Mark Helias, Tom Rainey) - Come Ahead Back Fredrik Nordstrom - Live And if we can go back just a little bit furthe than 20 years: Jimmy Lyons & Sunny Murray w/ John Lindberg - Jump Up

I would add to the list the second School Days recording on Okkadisk, In Our Times. IMO the inclusion of vibes adds some interesting colors to Vandermark's compositions.

Bill Lester's recent disc, Four Into Four is very good. I think it benefits from the addition of a trumpeter, which I do not think we have heard very often in the Tristano sphere. Another recording that I think is excellent although I am not sure what generation he should be considered in the Tristano orbit is Jimmy Halperin's Cycle Logical. Some of the purest improvising I have heard on any recording in the past couple of years. The ideas just flow out of Halperin's horn. Highly recommended.

I know he played on one of Mitchell's Note Factory recordings.

By coincidence I just listened to Iyer's Blood Sutra this week and agree that it is very good. I have also heard Iyer on Rudresh Manhanthappa's Black Water, which is also very good. Iyer is also part of a cooperative group, Fieldwork, with Aaron Stewart on tenor and a drummer that I can not remember. There is a recording on Pi by the group called Your Lfie Flashes. I have enjoyed everything I have heard involving Iyer thus far. He does not sound much like Andrew Hill to me. He does have a strong percussive nature to his playing, but his playing is more obviously influenced by his time playing with Steve Coleman. He also does not seem to use space as much as Hill. In any event, IMO Iyer is someone worth checking out.

There is a recording available by Sticks & Stones.

I debated on whether to tell you this since my previously mentioned order seems to be indefinately backordered, but the Raphe Malik disc is currently on auction on ebay. The Auction ends Friday 11/14.

Thanks for posting those reviews. IMO this is definately one of the best new releases of 2003. After hearing this I obtained a CDR of Jump Up from a friend to hold me over until I can locate a reasonably priced copy of the official release. Wow! Between the box set and Jump Up I am amazed that I did not pay closer attention to Lyons before.

Wow! The anticipation on Jim's blindfold test before he has even compiled it hints that this may have the largest participation yet. Jim, the pressure is on to make it memorable. Count me in!

This evening I caught the Herbie Hancock Quartet with Gary Thomas, Scott Colley and Terri Lyne Carrington at the Mohegan Sun Casino. The location, in what is called Wolf Den, is not the optimum place for a jazz concert. Located right in the middle of the casino floor the Wolf Den is an open space with tables situated in a hemisphere around the stage. As I feared, the casino activity (in particular the slot machines) could be heard during the performance – especially during the quieter portions. Once I got accustomed to the acoustics I did not let it completely distract me from what was otherwise a good performance. Hancock’s quartet reminded me somewhat of the concert I heard earlier this year by Wayne Shorter’s wonderful group. Both Shorter and Hancock seem to be looking for fresh ways to approach music from their past, or in Hancock’s case otherwise familiar pieces. In a set that lasted close to two hours, Hancock played Cole Porter’s “I Love You”, his own “Dolphin Dance Suite”, Carrington’s “Middle Way” and a Wayne Shorter tune – I believe “Fall”. For the most part, none of the performances of these tunes were readily recognizable compared to original versions. The group has obviously been playing together a lot because they have developed a group sound that is far greater than the individual musicians. Individual solos were not particularly memorable. Instead the group seemed to focus on manipulating the dynamics of the group sound – fluctuating between quieter moments to more intense playing. Much of their reinterpretations of familiar tunes were also about radical shifts in the rhythm. Here is where Carrington, if anyone, stood out throughout the set. I don’t think Carrington played any what I would call “jazz rhythms”. Instead she seemed to come up with a myriad of what the hip-hop heads would simply term “beats”. One minute she played a hip-hop beat, the next a funk beat and the next something else. Combined with Colley’s bass lines, the rhythm is what really determined the direction of the music. This is the first time I heard Carrington live and she was very impressive if not the star of the show. On occasion a couple of the tunes seemed to go on for too long – meandering until it started to sound repetitive. Usually this is when Carrington would come up with something else to change the groove. These musicians can play and each had their moments to shine, but overall like I said the audience seemed to get caught up in the groove propelled by Carrington and Colley as opposed to being amazed by any technical displays of virtuosity by the participants. Nice set. I probably will never attend another show at Wolf Den, but I am glad that I did not miss this opportunity to catch one of the remaining giants of the music – especially since it was free.

I agree, it is a terrific recording. Late, if noone else has offered I can give you a burn of the LP.

I finally had the chance to sit down today and listen to all give discs in this box today. Truly a historic release and I am very happy I got it. First I have heard of Lyons as a leader and it is a revelation. The stuff with Malik and Borca is great.

Just this week I ordered a copy of the Mailk disk via www.gemm.com. Assuming the seller actually has the disc as advertised (I received a notification that it was backordered) I would be willing to provide you a CD-R when (if?) I receive the disc if you have not located a copy by then.

This is one for all you trombone fans. This is a 2002 recording featuring Priester in a quartet with local Seattle musicians, Dawn Clement (p), Byron Vannoy (d) and Geoff Harper (bass). Priester's brief liner notes state that the music on the CD is designed to demonstrate the concept of oneness, that it is his "prayer that the music be perceived as a continuous suite for reflection" and it is his "desire for it to be listened to from beginning to end without interuption." On my first listen today I was unable to listen to it uninterrupted, but my inital reaction to this disc is very positive. Priester has an appealing tone on the bone throughout and I took particular notice of the quality and variety of the compositions - five of which are by Priester. Nothing overly complex, or unapproachable about any of the music. Instead the compositions are somewhat thoughtful and developed sufficiently to hold the listener's interest throughout. Clement makes some notable contributions on piano. Can't give a detailed review based on my one listen thus far, but I wanted to at least get the word out about this sleeper just in case you have not heard about. It is on the small Conduit Records label www.conduitrecords.com. I am looking forward to the opportunity to sit down in the living room when the family is not home and giving this disc my undivided attention during an uninterrupted listen.

No. The Mountain contains selections from both Water From an Ancient Well and Ekaya.

Water From An Ancient Well and Ekaya are my favorites, but I can remember loving the Chiaroscuro LP, Capetown Fringe before I was even a jazz fan. My father played that LP a lot in the house when I was younger. A good trio date is the 1996 recording Cape Town Flowers

I ordered one copy Friday night. I am eagerly waiting for it to arrive.

I just happen to have listened to this recording on LP last week. I bought it about a year ago for less than $5.00 used and finally got around to it. Solid bop playing. I think my favorite track is probably the sole track with Don Rader on trumpet.

Pulled out my copy of the Hep LP, Out of Nowhere, which remarkably was never opened and I am listening to it right now. I only first discovered Lanphere a little over one year ago on Like A Bird, and was immediately impressed. RIP.

I have seen Hill live on many occassions and although I would never describe him as outgoing, he always seemed receptive to some interaction with the people that support him.

Last year I made myself a two disc Andrew Hill compilation covering the period 1955 - 1965 that included selections from recordings in my collection featuring Hill including Hill as a sideman as well as a leader. Excluding the non Blue Note and sideman appearances, these are the tunes I included on the compilation. Land of Nod - Black Fire Ode To Von - Smokestack Reconciliation - Judgment Dedication - Point of Departure Symmetry - Andrew Pax - One For One Limbo - Compulsion Desire - Sam Rivers - Involution (its really a Hill Lead date) MC - Grass Roots Bayou Red - Grass Roots Fish 'N Rice - Dance With Death Lift Every Voice - Lift Every Voice Illusion - One For One Diddy Wah - One For One Such it Is - Lift Every Voice FYI, the reason a couple of recordings have more than selection is because recordings like the reissues of Grass Roots have more than one recording session on them. If I were making the compilation today I might make a couple of changes - such as "Dedication", but for the most part these are some of my favorite Andrew Hill Blue Note tracks. I suppose if I was making it today I would also have to find a way to include something from Passing Ships.

I think one of the interesting things about Hill is that although his music is very personal and easily recognizable as "Andrew Hill", there is nonetheless a variety in his recordings to the point that IMO it is hard to say that two recordings are necessarily in the same style. Often it is the changes in the instrumentation that creates the different sound. Other times there is a difference in the compositions. I suppose that is why the slightly funky Hill to be found on recordings like Grass Roots is not the same as a recording like Judgment. I am not sure that there is anything else in Hill's recorded output that is similar to Passing Ships in its use of a larger ensemble with an emphasis on the arrangements. Even his recent big band recording is not similar to me. So maybe it would be helpful if you could describe exactly what it is about Point of Departure that does not appeal to you and what it is about Passing Ships that you like? With that said we should keep in mind that Hill is still alive, his artistry has continued to evolve in the past thirty years and he has made some very worthwhile recordings that are not on Blue Note. That is my preamble to say that an excellent entry point to Hill is Shades the 1986 date on Soul Note with Clifford Jordan, Rufus Reid and Ben Riley. For me that recording is as satisfying as anything Hill recorded on Blue Note. It may not be as ground breaking or adventurous, but I think the trio tracks on that recording are some of the best Hill piano playing on record and the recording as a whole features some of Hill's best and at the same time most approachable compositions. If all you ever heard was a recording like Point of Departure you may not expect Hill to be as compatible with relatively "straight" players like Jordan, Reid and Riley, but I can not recommend this recording enough. It is the first Andrew Hill recording I ever heard and the one that motivated me to go back and check out the Blue Note stuff. And oh yeah, Jordan sounds great too.