Andrew Hill: Where do you personally rank him

[Jazzmoose]

I went with the "top twenty" spot. In all honesty, Hill is an artist I respect and admire more than enjoy...

[Eric]

BTW, Nefertiti is a great Hill trio album from 1976 on East Wind. Mostly Hill tunes and a nice mix of tempos. Definitely reminds me of the best of the BN years ...

Eric

[The Mule]

Hill's in my top five for the reasons DrJ described much more eloquently than I could.

His "difficulty" is part of what keeps me coming back to his records again and again. He's engaging to me on an intellectual level as well as an emotional one. I find great beauty in his work...

[connoisseur series500]

Man, this board and its members LOVE Andrew Hill!!

[Rooster_Ties]

Man, this board and its members LOVE Andrew Hill!! 

...and THAT is one of the reasons why I LOVE this board!!!!

[Rooster_Ties]

...and even the recent LES TRINITAIRES.

Speaking of which, does anybody know where I can score me one of these??

Preferably without breaking the bank, and possibly from a U.S. vendor of some sort?? Or if it has to be from some place overseas, can somebody vouch for them??

I'm a big fan of Hill's solo piano recordings, and I'm sure that years from now I'll be kicking myself if I don't pick this one up now, while it's still sorta-kinda-available. Thanks a bunch!!!!

Edited July 15, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[Eric]

Rooster,

I love AH, but IMHO, this is not worthwhile. Very meandering, plodding even. I sold my copy back a couple years ago ...

Better to score Nefertiti if you don't have it - very strong!

Eric

[Guest Chaney]

...and even the recent LES TRINITAIRES.

Speaking of which, does anybody know where I can score me one of these??...

Sheesh! That's easy.

Sent you a PM.

[Rooster_Ties]

Thanks Chaney!!

By the way, I see AfricaBrass in on-line at this moment, and I know this poll wouldn't be complete without his vote. And I'll bet I can guess what he'll pick too!!

[Chuck Nessa]

I think the poll as listed is unfair. I like Andrew a lot, but am not sure where he would rank in my top 50 list. AH is a fine, serious artist but I'm not sure he belongs above any number of artists recorded in the 75+ years of jazz history. The '20s produced a shitload of great keyboard artists and each following decade produced more. I think Earl Hines takes up about 5 spaces in my top 50.

[Rooster_Ties]

Hi Chuck - glad to see you back!!!

RE: Your post just now... That's why I specifically said that the poll was only to consider jazz pianists of the last 50 years or so. I realize that if one opens up the choices to the whole gambit of jazz piano history (of the entire last century), then there are lots of other names to be considered too. I guess what I was driving at was some sense of where Hill fit in people's thoughts about the cats who came up in the 50's, 60's, and beyond. Maybe that shows some of my biases, but more than anything - it just shows where my interests are more strongly weighted.

So then, can I assume you didn't vote, Chuck??

I almost did the poll by simply asking, "on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being 'not at all', and 10 being 'like manna from heaven'), how much do like Andrew Hill, as a pianist/composer/band-leader (combined).

Perhaps that would have worked better at getting to my real question, which was "how much do the people on this board like/dislike Hill".

(My sense was that the Organissimo board likes Hill a whole lot more than the All-About-Jazz board.)

[Bright Moments]

What about Phineas Newborn, Jr., George Russell or Art Tatum? Nobody's even mentioned them!!!

And what about . . . Brubeck?!!

B)

[jazz1]

Top 20???? maybe

Top 10 no

Actually the main reason I don't rate him highly is because I don't have much of his work,

BTW Just joined the forum

[J Larsen]

I have a ton of Andrew Hill, I like almost all of it. Most of the 60s stuff is incredible. I'd probably put him in my top 20, which I think is extremely respectable. He's great, but I can't say he is/was "capital G" great like Monk, Powell, Herbie, Tyner, etc. (Yes, Tyner goes in my short list of "capital G" great pianists. I know not everyone agrees with that.)