What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Stanfordian]

'Reminiscin''
Gigi Gryce with Richard Gene Williams, Richard Rylands, Reggie Workman, Eddie Costa & Bob Thomas
New Jazz (1960)

[Jazzrook]

An extraordinary version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's 'See That My Grave Is Kept Clean' by Diamanda Galas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU7B6V7ucp4

JR

[Beef Oven!]

Selections from:

Pax - 1965
Compulsion!!!!! - 1965
Point Of Departure - 1964

These are my favourite Andrew Hill albums. Fellow boardsters from the jazz fraternity also put me onto the excellent Bobby Hutchinson album dialogue that has some fabulous playing from AH.

Not sure which album to go for next. Anyone got a steer for me?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

That's Bluenote, not "Bluebird"! My smartphone won't allow me to amend from here...BN.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

"Change" from 1966 (Bluebird). Scheduled but not released until part of a double LP album in the 1970s. It's now a Bluenote Connoisseur CD. It's a Hill/Sam Rivers Quartet date with Walter Booker and JC Moses. It reminds me of a kind of Elmo Hope date but from a later time. That kind of introverted but jagged feel. If you can find it its a keeper.

"The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "This band plays outside, but this is not "free jazz" in the original sense of the term. In fact, it is music that is composed, with lots of room for improvisation... It's a shame this ensemble didn't get to record together more, because by album's end it feels like they're just getting started"

BN.

[Beef Oven!]

"Change" from 1966 (Bluebird). Scheduled but not released until part of a double LP album in the 1970s. It's now a Bluenote Connoisseur CD. It's a Hill/Sam Rivers Quartet date with Walter Booker and JC Moses. It reminds me of a kind of Elmo Hope date but from a later time. That kind of introverted but jagged feel. If you can find it its a keeper.

"The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "This band plays outside, but this is not "free jazz" in the original sense of the term. In fact, it is music that is composed, with lots of room for improvisation... It's a shame this ensemble didn't get to record together more, because by album's end it feels like they're just getting started"

BN.

Thanks BN. I was also thinking about Andrew!!! and Judgement.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Can't go wrong with either. Pushed to chose I'd go for "Andrew" just for John Gilmore. And the material is striking.

[Ian Thumwood]

Selections from:

Pax - 1965
Compulsion!!!!! - 1965
Point Of Departure - 1964

These are my favourite Andrew Hill albums. Fellow boardsters from the jazz fraternity also put me onto the excellent Bobby Hutchinson album dialogue that has some fabulous playing from AH.

Not sure which album to go for next. Anyone got a steer for me?

I would have to plump for either "Black Fire" where Andrew Hill mixes it with Joe Henderson and an excellent Roy Haynes or the session with Bobby Hutcherson called "Judgement." The latter is slightly more cohesive and better than "Dialogue" but there are also other Andrew Hill records beyond Blue Note that are worth looking out for. "Dusk " from around 2001 is essential and can still be picked up second hand and is probably one of the best albums he made. There is also a 4-CD box set of Soul Note / Black Saint material from the 1980s which consists of one so/so solo, a decent trio outing and a brilliant quartet session with Clifford Jordan. However, it also includes "Verona Rag" which is amongst the best solo jazz albums ever made and an essential component of an Andrew Hill collection

[Ian Thumwood]

Picking up on the Curtis Counce selection, it is a disappointment that Volume 1 of the quintet's work on Contemporary is missing. The compilation of four classic albums is demonstrative of Contemporary's excellent sound recording but the session "Exploring the future" which is famous for it's "Lost in space" cover should have been ditched in favour of the volume 1 disc. The groups with Land / Butler / Sheldon / Counce / Perkins has a fantastic chemistry and the group gels together perfectly. The "future" session features a different band with Elmo Hope in on piano and Rolf Ericson on trumpet. I must admit that whilst this does have inferior sound quality than the other sessions which have a wonderful warmth about them, the most off-putting element is Ericson's truly horrible trumpet tone. I don't know if he normally sounded like that but it comes across like an irritating fly buzzing around a tin can. It is seriously unpleasant. I would also have to add that Elmo Hope detracts from the group sound and is nit helped by an out of tune piano. All in all, it is not a patch on the sessions with Perkins and Sheldon which are fantastic not only for the soloing but the fact that this band sounds so cohesive. This has been a big discovery for me . Harold Land is a musician who I think is seriously under-rated yet, on these performances, I think that Sheldon has been criminally under-looked.

[Quarky]

Many thanks for reference to Curtis Counce, Ian - someone else I've never 'erd of.

There is a lot of Curtis Counce available on YouTube.

Is this the missing item?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G39Lke7VO8

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Picking up on the Curtis Counce selection, it is a disappointment that Volume 1 of the quintet's work on Contemporary is missing. The compilation of four classic albums is demonstrative of Contemporary's excellent sound recording but the session "Exploring the future" which is famous for it's "Lost in space" cover should have been ditched in favour of the volume 1 disc. The groups with Land / Butler / Sheldon / Counce / Perkins has a fantastic chemistry and the group gels together perfectly. The "future" session features a different band with Elmo Hope in on piano and Rolf Ericson on trumpet. I must admit that whilst this does have inferior sound quality than the other sessions which have a wonderful warmth about them, the most off-putting element is Ericson's truly horrible trumpet tone. I don't know if he normally sounded like that but it comes across like an irritating fly buzzing around a tin can. It is seriously unpleasant. I would also have to add that Elmo Hope detracts from the group sound and is nit helped by an out of tune piano. All in all, it is not a patch on the sessions with Perkins and Sheldon which are fantastic not only for the soloing but the fact that this band sounds so cohesive. This has been a big discovery for me . Harold Land is a musician who I think is seriously under-rated yet, on these performances, I think that Sheldon has been criminally under-looked.

They are all wonderful records. I've got a box set of the complete sessions and a CD of the Hope date. The band also recorded Harold in the Land of Jazz with Leroy Vinnegar in for Counce and (the excellent) Perkins on piano. Also called Grooveyard. Carl Perkins has a v. fine trio album and was a strong influence on Vic Feldman when he first went to the States. There's footage of Perkins on Utube, an extraordinary technique as he had limited use of his left hand through polio. Amazing to watch how he managed to be so fluent.

[Beef Oven!]

Can't go wrong with either. Pushed to chose I'd go for "Andrew" just for John Gilmore. And the material is striking.

Going to go for Andrew!!! next. Thanks

[Beef Oven!]

I would have to plump for either "Black Fire" where Andrew Hill mixes it with Joe Henderson and an excellent Roy Haynes or the session with Bobby Hutcherson called "Judgement." The latter is slightly more cohesive and better than "Dialogue" but there are also other Andrew Hill records beyond Blue Note that are worth looking out for. "Dusk " from around 2001 is essential and can still be picked up second hand and is probably one of the best albums he made. There is also a 4-CD box set of Soul Note / Black Saint material from the 1980s which consists of one so/so solo, a decent trio outing and a brilliant quartet session with Clifford Jordan. However, it also includes "Verona Rag" which is amongst the best solo jazz albums ever made and an essential component of an Andrew Hill collection

Verona Rag sounds very tempting -

[Jazzrook]

Selections from:

Pax - 1965
Compulsion!!!!! - 1965
Point Of Departure - 1964

These are my favourite Andrew Hill albums. Fellow boardsters from the jazz fraternity also put me onto the excellent Bobby Hutchinson album dialogue that has some fabulous playing from AH.

Not sure which album to go for next. Anyone got a steer for me?

I'd recommend Hill's debut for BLUE NOTE, 'Black Fire'(1963), 'Judgment!'(1964), 'Dance With Death'(1968), 'Grass Roots'(1968) with Booker Ervin, 'Passing Ships'(1969), 'Nefertiti'(1976) & 'Shades'(1986).

JR

[Beef Oven!]

I'd recommend Hill's debut for BLUE NOTE, 'Black Fire'(1963), 'Judgment!'(1964), 'Dance With Death'(1968), 'Grass Roots'(1968) with Booker Ervin, 'Passing Ships'(1969), 'Nefertiti'(1976) & 'Shades'(1986).

JR

Going to dip into them - thank god for streaming! Thanks