relyles

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.

Yes, it was included in the Mosaic box as well as half of One For One

Yes, compared to later Blue Note Hill, but not as much as Black Fire, Judgment, Point of Departure and Andrew!!!

Jim, It is interesting that you mention Ron Carter. I generally enjoy Carter's playing, but while listening to this disc I could not help but wish Richard Davis was on hand. Carter is okay, but he does not bring the same elasticity that Davis brought to Hill's music. With Davis, you always felt like the rhythm section was pushing the soloists while also providing a contrast to what else may be going on whereas IMO Carter does not get past providing support. He supports well, but similar to your comments regarding Hill's music needing a sense of "abandon", I think Davis' interaction with Hill and either Roy Haynes or Elvin Jones provided a good deal of the abandon as you call it, or the edge and/or sense of adventure that I enjoy most in Hill's music.

I also have the Mosaic set on vinyl. I enjoyed this date, but not as much as Young's earlier Blue Notes up to and including Unity. However, I think I enjoyed this one the most out of everything that followed Unity. I actually enjoyed hearing Morgan playing in a setting that required him to push the edges a little as opposed to another attempt to recreate the success of "The Sidewinder". It is also not that out of character for Lee Morgan at this time because even on his own recordings that included Billy Harper he was moving beyond the classic hard bop sound.

That is a fair characterization and I probably do not disagree with you. "Complex" may have been the wrong word. I definately agree it is not as dark as some of his earlier recordings and it is certainly more accessible. By the way you did not mention Dance With Death, which IMO has passionate support from Farrell and Charles Tolliver as well as some of Hill's best compositions. Now when will Blue Note reissue that one?

As an admitted Andrew Hill fanatic, I felt it was my obligation to give my thoughts on this disc. I only had a chance to listen to it once. It is a worthwhile recording, but not on the same level as Hill's mid sixties recordings. It does not have the same edge. The compositions and overall mood are not as complex, or challenging as on his earlier recordings. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is clear that with the larger ensemble of one reed (Farrell) two trumpets (Woody Shaw and Dizzy Reece), Julian Priester, (trombone) Bob Northern (french horn), Howard Johnson (tuba, bass clarinet), Ron Carter (bass) and Lenny White (drums) Hill was concentrating on simpler material and the arrangements. The principal soloists are strong throughout and the album as a whole is well worthy of its release. With that said, I can see why Blue Note did not issue it earlier since it is noticeably less adventurous than his earlier recordings and more closely aligned with recordings such as those found on the seventies double LP, One For One. I need to listen to it a few more times, but my initial impression is a favorable one if not as overwhelmed as recordings like Black Fire, Judgment, Andrew!! and Point of Departure.

Well I just confirmed that my local independent retailer has the Hill and he is putting one aside for me to pick up after work. Since I have most of the other Connoisiers in another format, I will not be in a rush to pick those up. Never can quite understand the need to constantly purchase repackaged music that is already in your collection unless there is a significant flaw that diminished the ability to enjoy the music.

Wild Bill Davis also made several recordings with Johnny Hodges that are worth hearing. One thing I have noticed about some of the pre-Smith organists I have heard is that it seems like they did not allow the organ to blend in with the band as well. I think this a problem that some organ music may have in general, but when I listen to those Wild Bill Davis/Hodges recordings it seems that Davis' organ can overwhelm all the other musicians. I sometimes get a similar feeling, but not as strongly from Jimmy Smith - although i do love much of his playing. I think that is why I pefer organists like Larry Young and Don Patterson, they seem to interact and support the other musicians in the band as opposed to overpowering them. Tom, I am sure others may have recommendations, but a young organ player that has consistently impressed me has been Sam Yahel.

I believe it is Paper Man (great album by the way), but like RT said, the website has been saying this is comming soon for way more than "soon"

I have Bremen, but only a CD-R of Stuttgart. Looks like I will be upgrading when this one hits the street. Excellent music as is just about everything else released by this group from that time.

Jim, I have Phantoms and enjoyed it very much. She pretty much plays it straight, but there are a couple of interesting arrangements and subtle hints at the Ornette influenced sound. Check with our mutual friend. He gives this one a wholehearty endorsement. Ronald

I purchased this one when it was first released, which was early in my Hill infatuation. At the time I probably only had heard Shades and maybe Point of Departure and Joe Henderson's Our Thing. While IMO it paled considerably to those recordings I nonetheless found it enjoyable at the time. I think my appreciation of this disc was also enhanced by hearing the group perform live at the Knitting Factory around the same time. The writing is not as edgy as on most of Hill's recordings, but I think Hutcherson and Osby played very well throughout. With that said I can admit that it is probably only essential to a Hill fanatic like myself. I think at the time more was made out of Hill's return to Blue Note than anything else.

If I can get the money I will be there. Three days before pay day is always tight.

Good article. It answered some questions about his recent activity.

All of this stuff is a mystery to me and I will never completely understand it. One oddity I have encountered is that I have two boomboxes in my office and at home that initially read CD-Rs with no problem. No I have to play with the one in my office to get it to read them and it usually does, but the boombox at home no longer reads any CD-Rs. Can anyone offer an explanation why that would occur? Have all the different dyes and whatever from the discs seeped into my boomboxes changing the lasers permanently? gremlins I say. Gremlins. Anyone have any thoughts on whether one of those CD cleaner discs may help the problem?

Tom, I recall you expressing slight reservations about this recording in the past. This is the recording that essentially introduced me to William Parker as a leader and I have been an addict ever since. While I will agree that many of the compositions are not much more than springboards for the solos, the infectious nature of most of the tunes resulting from Parker's propulsive bass and Drake's drumming make this a memorable recording for me. I don't know if you heard Raining on the Moon by the same group with Leena Conquest on vocals, but the overall feel is very similar. In fact, although I grew to enjoy Conquest's vocals, I think that if Raining on the Moon did not have the vocals it might have been an even better recording than O'Neals Porch. In any event I think both recordings are great and essential for anyone that is a fan of William Parker's music. I don't think I have heard enough bass-drum tandems to opine where Parker and Drake stand, but based on all the great music I have heard by these two on many recordings I have gobbled up in the past year I have to believe they are somewhere near the top. Ronald

I have gotten in the habit of picking up Harrell's recordings as a matter of course, but I was concerned about this one. I am not heavy into vocals. On this one, I am only a fan of Wilson and Reeves. Alexander, how many vocal tracks are there compared to instrumentals?

I have the Hersch disc as well. It is kind of difficult to compare the two because Hersch and Moran are different types of pianists in my mind. In any event, oddly I think Waits makes a bigger impact on the Hersch disc. Not sure why, but his presence is more noticeable to me on that recording. Could just be a fact that the Bandwagon has developed such a group concept that I do not necessarily pay close attention to the individual contributions, but the group as a whole.

If it is not too late, I would like to participate.

I gave this one a few listens last week. I would call myself a dedicated Jason Moran fan. I enjoyed this disc a lot, but to be honest I still think his best is yet to come. I have some broadcasts of performances by this trio in Europe at around the same time they recorded at the Vanguard and afterward and think one or two of those may have caught the group on better nights. I only mention that to explain why I think the essential recording/masterpiece by Moran has yet to come. In any event, I firmly believe Moran is one of the musicians to keep a close ear on in the future.

Have not listened to it in a while and could be confusing it with one of Thomas' other recordings, but my recollection is that it is one of his better releases. Thomas' recordings can be a little dense, so if you are already familiar with Thomas I would say it is worthwhile. Not sure how someone completely new to Thomas' recordings would react.

Because the United States Postal Service decided to cause some damage to the first disc Dan sent me I am late getting into the fray here. In light ond all the posts on this thread already I will assume that there is not much new that I can add so I will keep my comments brief this go around. One thing an exercise like this does is expose the limits of your knowledge. After listening to this disc I realize that there is still so much music out there that I have not heard. I do not believe that I have heard any of the recordings that the tracks on the disc came from. I can not identify any of the tracks, but on many of them the musicians sounded familiar and I am sure that if I listened to the disc a few more times I can identify many of the artists. I am sure I am going to feel stupid when I read the precediung posts and finally learn the track list. I will say that although I have never heard the recording before, I am pretty sure I heard Miles, Coltrane and Cannonball on track four, which I think was an interesting arrangement of Jitterbug Waltz. Also, I do know that it was Joe Henderson on track 11. Sorry guys, can't commit to much more than that, but there was some really good music on the disc. Nice compilation. I have been humbled.

In Perry Robinson's biography he discusses his playing with Montoliu in Spain in the sixties. I would love to hear some of that.

I have both of these LPs and I must confess that these two are probably the only Shaw led dates that may even come close to being a disappointment to me. The sound quality is not the greatest and I have heard much better playing by both Shaw and Bobby Hutcherson. Nonetheless, just about any Woody Shaw is worth hearing, including these two LPs.