Andrew Hill

[JohnS]

Andrew played in London last night. It was a big band gig but he brought along Ron Horton, Gregory Tardy, John Hebert and Nasheet Waits, at least they were billed, no-one was introduced. The rest of the big band was made up with british guys. Considering they were relatively unfamilar with the charts it went down well. I would have liked to have heard a little more of Hill's piano and maybe a number by the quintet. The bass and drums were particularly effective, especially behind Hill.

[Rooster_Ties]

Thanks for the review. By the way, I asked this in another thread (Andrew Hill Quartet - Iowa City Jazz Festival, Anybody from Kansas City interested???), but does anybody know who would be playing in what is billed as the Andrew Hill Quartet, this July, in Iowa City???

Thanks!!!

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks John.

Looking forward to seeing this lot perform in Bath on Saturday.

[Jason Drake]

John, I was there also. You should have stood up and shouted "Organissimo" to make your presence known. I agree with your comments. I was initially surprised at the obvious lack of preparation but did really enjoy the show. An interesting comment from my girlfriend, who is not a big jazz fan (and dislikes free jazz intensely) but comes along to the odd gig out of the kindness of her heart. She said that although it was sometimes a little bit too 'free' for her, she did 'get it' on a emotional level and really enjoyed the big band element being chucked into the mix. A direct quote from her was "almost as good as Bobby Watson" !

[JohnS]

I did think that maybe I should enquire if anyone else on the board was going-next concert I'll do that.

[sidewinder]

I'm at the Bath performance tonight - will post my thoughts and observations during the week.

Good preview of the Hill show by John Fordham on Radio 3 'Jazz on 3' last night. Slowly but surely Hill's profile is increasing big time over here. There was also a short write up last week in the Daily Telegraph (one of their interviewers actually took a short piano lesson with Hill. He was extremely patient, apparently).

I've noticed also that the Hill Mosaic's don't hang around on ebay these days either ...

Edited May 24, 2003 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

Here's my Bath reaction...I'm looking forward to reading yours, sidewinder. (Apologies to AAJ readers but I first put this reaction up there).

I was expecting to be disappointed! I have three Hill discs that I enjoy and know of his legendary status. Often the scenario for a let down!

How wrong I was. A lengthy concert of superb music. Now I have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to big bands. I'm really not that keen on the swinging big band where all the sections play riffs and set phrases interspered by solos. We get alot of that in UK big bands!

Hill by contrast had put together genuine compositions where there was no sense of 'head-solos-head' and star musician soloing. The music seemed to evolve with solos emerging naturally out of the material. At times sections of the orchestra seemed to be made to deliberately clash against one another - Charles Ives came to mind. Hill's off-centre piano playing was enthralling...though we didn't hear much of it. Great soloing allround fom Yanks and Brits alike. It was so good to see UK players like Denys Baptiste and Jason Yarde in this band. I think one of my favourite moments was where Andy Grappy played a tuba solo that brought a piece to the end where, on the last three notes he was joined perfectly by the bass. Just what was improvised and what composed?

Oh, and the bass and drums (John Hebert and Nasheet Waits, I think) were astounding - rarely locking into anything that sounded like a standard 'swinging' rhythm team, yet keeping the music airborne throughout.

Absolutely no sense of stage presence! Hill tried to speak several times and kept giving up (the mike might have been off) until the end! One of the trumpet players who alternated with Hill in conducting got called out to conduct a couple of times only to be sent back! And I still can't work out if we got three encores or one encore and two previous tunes where the musicians left the stage between numbers! But who needs presentational polish when the music was this good.

This concert will be broadcast by the BBC on Friday, 30th May at 11.30 UK time and archived for a week after. Strongly recommended:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazz/jon3/jon3coming.shtml

Edited May 26, 2003 by Bev Stapleton

[sidewinder]

This is a good summing up, Bev. It captures quite a few of my thoughts and observations of the concert, which was one of the best at this years fest (Gianluigi Trovesi and Guy Barker yesterday being the other highlights for me).

I couldn't believe the seat I got for the Hill concert. Table right at the front just behind the piano - which gave me a great vantage point to check out Hill's direction.

Charles Ives? Spot on !! Hindemith also came to mind, with this emphasis on large brass textures and atonality. When it worked, it was just exquisite. In particular, the slow number featuring contrasting flutes had a particular beauty that just took the breath away.

The rhythm section was just right - they gave the music an impetus and spring in the 'ad lib' sections that created great freedom and possibilities.

I think the trumpet player doing some of the direction must have been Ron Horton, who was well featured in one of the numbers and seemed to have a cast-iron grip on the intricasies of Hill's music. Yes, I think there were at least 2 encores, possibly 3. I suspect that Andrew and co. were enjoying the gig so much and with this being the last performance of the tour they just carried on. Our gain . That front mike was also switched off - I think he gave up in the end ! As mentioned, this didn't help on the stage presence front and may have bemused much of the audience. As mentioned in my separate post, Mr Hill in person turns out to be a very amiable character !

Not much piano was featured as you mention, however when he did solo it was an absolute revelation. Anything but predictable.

Particular kudos too to the solo work that night. Messrs Baptiste and Tardy were superb in their exchanges. Fine work from the brass, too.

Looking forward immensely to the Radio 3 broadcast ..

Edited May 26, 2003 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it too, sidewinder. I must have been a couple of tables away!

As I left a couple behind me were moaning about how untidy it had been and that they'd heard the band had been better in Birmingham. I began to doubt my reaction.

[Trovesi was astounding...you'll see me gushing about that elsewhere. I quite enjoyed the Barker Septet. Great playing all round, but I find his compositions a bit dated. Very 60s Blue Note. And he always gives off the air of knowing he's a 'star' in a world where there are few jazz stars. But I'm probably being unfair. The band played very well - I especially like the alto playing.

My other highlights were the Irene Schweizer/Pierre Favre concert and the amazing Worshop de Lyon (imagine Edith Piaf singing with the Ornette Coleman Quartet!)...who I'd never even heard of! There is so much wonderful music just hidden away!

[sidewinder]

Were you sitting at the front and more in the middle Bev? There was a guy with a laptop computer and cameras on the table next to me, if that helps to locate things.

I think the Hill performance got some mixed reactions from the punters at the fest but maybe this was unfamiliarity with the style. I think it helped to be familiar with Hill's concepts and methods. Certainly you had to listen very carefully to the nuances of this one but the efforts were well and truly rewarded.

Didn't catch the Schweizer/Favre in the Guildhall but did see the Tracey/Wellins at this location. Couldn't get into the swing of things at the Workshop de Lyon's performance I'm afraid. Left me a bit unengaged, as did the Mathew Bourne. I'm more of a 'has-been Blue Note groover' so the Guy Barker was right up my street. The Italian altoist he had with him in this group (Rosario Giuliani) was a revelation (a bit like James Spaulding crossed with Jackie Mclean ) and the organ player had a definite hint of Larry Young about him.

:rsmile:

Edited May 26, 2003 by sidewinder

[David Williams]

For various reasons I only made it to Bath for the Midnight Sun Norwegian night, on Friday (variable, but hit some great heights). I was hoping to get to see Schweizer, at least, but wasn't to be. Next year I'll be planning ahead, because this was the most interesting festival line-up I can remember seeing, for my taste.

[sidewinder]

Did your hearing survive the 'barage of sound' from "Supersilent", David ?

Mine is only just coming back to normal ..

[A Lark Ascending]

I missed Friday night...lorry on fire on the M1, contraflow queues on the M1, tent to put up, knackered...

Never noticed the PC I'm afraid.

Bourne did nothing for me either. I saw him last year at a 6 hour free improv jamboree at the RFH where he did similar things and ended up playing Dark Magus-ish jazz funk. I suspect he's the current bright young avant-shocker (something he seems only too aware of! Terribly patronising to Keith Jarrett I thought!). Time will tell if he's got anything more interesting to say than pastiche with a sampler.

I did like his version of 'I've got Rhythm' though!

Biggest disappointment for me were Trio AAB and especially Kevin McKenzie's larger group. I've enjoyed their records but there was something a bit ordinary about them on stage. The Vital Signs thing didn't work at all for me. I love the idea of mixing Scottish traditional music with jazz (they do it well on their last CD) but this seemed to take jazz on one side, a bit of fiddling and concertina on the other and glue them together with a heavy handed rock beat. The last thing a music as rhythmically vibrant as Scottish folk needs is a rock beat!

I really like the Bath programming - determinedly left of centre, determinedly European. Given the Anglo-American slant of most UK festivals it's great to get a chance to hear some of the talent from the rest of Europe. Cheltenham is my other regular.

Sorry!

Back to Andrew Hill...

Edited May 26, 2003 by Bev Stapleton

[David Williams]

Did your hearing survive the 'barage of sound'  from "Supersilent",  David ?

Mine is only just coming back to normal .. 

I really enjoyed Supersilent. It reached a peak with the Chicago house-style pulse about 2/3 of the way through. The more abstract parts of Sidsel Endresen's set weren't to my taste - preferred the more conventionally folky singing (fantastic voice) - and someone shoulda tuned that piano! (Ho ho!)

Nothing I've heard by Matthew Bourne has impressed me as much as the solo session he did for Jazz On 3 last year - his group stuff has left me cold. Sorry to hear Trio AAB was a disappointment.

I enjoyed the vibe out by the bar at The Pavilion - spotted a few vaguely familiar faces, and Andy Sheppard was milling around. Great CD stall - I've never seen anything like that incredible choice free/improv discs. Limited myself to picking up just the LJCO's Double Trouble Two, though.

Sounds like a there's potential for two or three of us to meet up next year. Copies of The Times and red carnations all round!

Edited May 27, 2003 by David Williams

[A Lark Ascending]

Does seem a bit daft to be there and not say hello.

I admire your restraint, David. I spent a fortune - two LJCO's, an Italian Instabile, a Lol Coxhill and a Trovesi. Well, it's so hard to get them elsewhere....

[David Williams]

The restraint was partly down to knowing I can get them online when I want to, but it was nice to be able to handle them without having to buy them first. Also, I only had £20 on me.

I wasn't so keen on the Pavilion as a venue - too big and too barn-like - are any of the other Bath venues more intimate?

[A Lark Ascending]

You are clearly a sensible man who does not carry his credit cards with him!

I know what you mean about the Pavilion*. Not a bad venue but you do expect them to ask you to move the tables aside so you can do-ci-do your partner!!!

The only other venue I've been to in Bath is the Guildhall which I don't like at all. All 18th C stucco and faded paintings. The whole vibe is of a very stuffy chamber concert!

My favourite festival venue is the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham. Beautiful sound, great sightlines. Perfect for acoustic jazz.

*Incidentally, you were lucky to have a Pavilion. A couple of years back I was eating a meal in the cafe whilst reading a book when I smelt something odd and looked up to see my book on fire! I'd somehow got it too close to the candles they seem so keen on there!

[David Williams]

The one thing I made it to Cheltenham for this year was Wayne Krantz with The Partizans at the Everyman - right in the front row. I just prefer to stand for any kind of jazz, and if the stage is only a foot high and the musicians have to walk through the crowd to the bar at half-time, even better. Everyman's good, though - if Andrew Hill had been playing there instead of The Pavilion, I may just have broken my other engagement. Actually, I'm starting to wish I had anyway.

[A Lark Ascending]

I was there for that concert. I'm afraid it left me completely unmoved. I really wanted to like it...I think Phil Robson's a great guitar player and love his solo album, 'Impish', but I just can't get anything from Krantz. He's clearly a great player and seems a very nice man...but I'm left with no impression of his musical personality (I've seen him a couple of times before in power-trio format).

I'll just have to put him in the box with people I just don't get (he's in good company - Verdi, Brubeck...). I know the overall reaction to that concert was ecstatic.

[sidewinder]

I'll second the comments about the CD stall. Some good things on there (I picked up a 'Colin Towns Mask Orchestra' and John Mayer's 'Indo Jazz Fusions 2001' for £18 the pair, not bad) and there was a stack of old copies of Coda, which I usually raid on my annual visit to the fest. Any CD stall with about 15 copies of Mike Osborne's 'Outback' for sale is pretty cool in my estimations !

The best venue at Bath for my taste was probably the 'Tramshed'. It was the perfect venue for Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy about 15 years ago (I used to have a video of this concert but it was accidentally wiped over ) . I believe that they have now converted the Tramshed into yuppie flats now though (or something of this ilk ...)

I rather like the Guildhall - it was best in the days though when there was a wine bar just outside the recital room serving wine by the glass instead of plastic receptacles ! Very refined. Highlight at this venue was Martial Solal solo recital, again many years ago.

Edited May 28, 2003 by sidewinder

[David Williams]

I was there for that concert. I'm afraid it left me completely unmoved...... I know the overall reaction to that concert was ecstatic.

One of my companions was very disparaging - particularly annoyed by their inability to hold a groove for more than a few moments (Wayne's bands seem more inclined to lock into a groove in really small venues where the audience is practically breathing down their necks). I enjoyed it though; partly because I was pleasantly surprised by the compositions.