Andrew Hill, who died at the age of 75 on April 20, 2007, was a highly original pianist and composer who recorded a string of stunning albums for Blue Note in the short span of eight months, constructing his own musical universe, much like Blue Note predecessors Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols. His compositions, which employed asymmetry, repeated phrases, and artful use of space, were challenging to play, but at Blue Note he found musicians who could rise to the level of his inventiveness. We’ll hear music from the LP many considered Hill’s masterpiece, Point of Departure, as well as Black Fire, Judgment, Andrew!, and Bobby Hutcherson’s album Dialogue.
Trinity Church has posted video of Hill’s final performance, given several weeks before his death, and Los Angeles jazz DJ/musician Kellen Yamanaka has compiled a list of online obituaries as part of his own thoughtful reflections on Hill’s music.
Listen to Hill’s late 1960s Blue Note recordings in our earlier program, Fragments.
Music Heard On This Episode
