Late Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Andrew Hill would have been 77 today. I started my morning by listening to "Morning Flower" from Invitation on Steeplechase. I'd forgotten how good that album is. Was that Andrew's working trio of the time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late Posted June 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 "Andrew and I knew each other as kids coming up in Chicago. We are about the same age and we grew up relatively near each other on the South Side. I lived on 47th Street and he lived somewhere in the 30s. He got me one of my first gigs in 1949, maybe 1950 – a duo, piano and bass. It was at a club in some strange neighborhood, I think on the West Side. We started at 10:00. Around 3:00, I asked, “What time are we finished?” And he said, “Whenever they tell us we can go home.” I didn’t realize it until then, but we were working for the Mafia. So, when Andrew wasn’t looking, and the Mafia owners weren’t looking, I took my bass and the cover – I didn’t even put it on the bass – and took it out to my car. I told Andrew, “Never call me again. I can’t work like this.” Fortunately, he didn’t listen to me, because he called me for his next gig. We soon went our separate ways and we didn’t play together until the ‘60s, when we made those recordings, but I didn’t work with him at any clubs then. The only time I worked with him in a club was about five years ago, I think at The Jazz Standard. The records were the first time I played his compositions. I found them to be very, very free, in the sense that I could just about play anything that came to my imagination. It was very open and complex at the same time, I would say, but it was very easy for me to play. I was very comfortable with what some would call the difficult parts of Andrew’s music, the unique ways he put things together. Every time we played one of his pieces it would be different, so sometimes hearing them later was a little strange. I wish I could remember which album it was, but I heard this record on the radio, and the bass player was really good. “Wow. That guy is terrific,” I thought. I had never heard anybody play bass like that. So, when the record was over, the DJ announced who it was. It was Andrew Hill, with Richard Davis on bass. Andrew later told me which record it was and I took it out and played it. I thought that was funny. That could only happen with Andrew. I think Andrew was really a unique composer and performer. I don’t think anyone could ever copy what he was doing." Richard Davis from Point of Departure, an online journal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Thanks for posting that. Andrew and Richard were a brilliant team. His BN output, for me, is one of the greatest recorded bodies of work. Just amazing stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 I was listening to Andrew on Joe Henderson's 'Our Thing' last night, marvelling at his contribution to the album and thinking how much he is missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 By chance I was just listening to "Time Lines" earlier. What a great album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gslade Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Putting on some Hill right now and Happy Birthday to Late!!! :party: :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late Posted June 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Putting on some Hill right now and Happy Birthday to Late!!! :party: :party: Hey, thank you fellow (if I remember correctly) Oregon poster! What Andrew did you spin? Just out of curiosity — what would you guys consider the most "obscure" or least-known Hill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gslade Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 roasting down here in Medford but listening to Shades, Eternal Spirits on the Que and Then some live stuff latter this evening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 [quote name='Late' date='Jun 30 2008, 07:06 PM' post='803994' Just out of curiosity — what would you guys consider the most "obscure" or least-known Hill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Just out of curiosity — what would you guys consider the most "obscure" or least-known Hill? The four Ping sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Just out of curiosity — what would you guys consider the most "obscure" or least-known Hill? The four Ping sides. Any details about dates, sidemen etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 (edited) Just out of curiosity — what would you guys consider the most "obscure" or least-known Hill? The four Ping sides. Any details about dates, sidemen etc? Andrew Hill - piano and organ Von Freeman (ts) Pat Patrick (bar) Malachi Favors (b) Wilbur Campbell (d) Chicago, October 1956 Dot - Ping 1002 - piano, bass, drums Mal's Blues - same Down Pat - Ping 1003 - Hill plays organ - add horns After dark - same Details available HERE Edited July 1, 2008 by Chuck Nessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 WOOOAH! Thanks for posting that website page Chuck! There's a lot of interesting information there. So, with 8 cuts by Hill, wouldn't that make a nice single cd!!! Nice newpaper clipping of a very young Hill and Favors too! So what's the story with Ping now? Anyone own the material and can put this stuff out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldB3 Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 By chance I was just listening to "Time Lines" earlier. What a great album. I agree, fantastic record. The first time I heard the solo piano version of Malachi I wept. In fact Andrew was the only Jazz artist to ever make me cry. The other time was the during the first listen of Kenny Dorham's solo on Dedication off of Point Of Departure and unfortunately the last time was right after his stellar performance at the SF Jazz festival just a few months before his passing. With his voice just above a rasp after his throat surgery he introduced the band and then alone on stage he took a bow holding his book of scores and walked off. At least we have all of his great recordings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I didn't know the guy personally, but I miss him. A real loss. My most recent AH listening was Reggie Workman's Summit Conference. The last tune was composed by Andrew and it is absolutely beautiful. Absolutely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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