Andrew Hill
Released February 4, 2006
DownBeat 2006 Album of the Year Critics Poll
Jazzwise Top 10 Releases of 2006
YouTube: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nMRdd9AKQZPfEHH297M093Bws3WmYDH9k
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7zBxZAbH66EZzZ3zcholgu?si=NS-S_ch4QCGPOL6hPncJ_w
About:
Time Lines marks the return to Blue Note of one of the label’s great originals, with Hill retaining the edgy intensity that marked such ’60s masterpieces as Black Fire and Judgment. As pianist, composer, and bandleader, Hill has a special talent for creating structural tensions that stimulate fresh improvisations. You hear it in the title track as saxophonist Greg Tardy and trumpeter Charles Tolliver (another veteran of the 1960s) weave through Hill’s minefield of compound rhythms and dissonant chords to make their own powerful statements. Tardy’s mastery of clarinet and bass clarinet adds to Hill’s rich palette of instrumental colors, while bassist John Hebert and drummer Eric McPherson contribute to the dynamic flow of polyrhythms. Whether it’s the joyous playfulness of “Smooth,” the taut and spiky “Ry Round 1,” or the welling emotional depths of the solo piano version of “Malachi,” every track bears the stamp of Hill’s creativity and commitment.
Stuart Broomer
Track Listing:
1. Malachi (Andrew Hill) 7:03
2. Time Lines (Andrew Hill) 9:02
3. Ry Round 1 (Andrew Hill) 9:00
4. For Emilio (Andrew Hill) 9:40
5. Whitsuntide (Andrew Hill) 8:59
6. Smooth (Andrew Hill) 8:14
7. Ry Round 2 (Andrew Hill) 7:55
8. Malachi (Andrew Hill) 5:32
Personnel:
Andrew Hill: piano
Charles Tolliver: trumpet
Greg Tardy: saxophone, clarinet
John Herbert: bass
Eric McPherson: drums
Recorded June 23 – July 18, 2005, at Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ
Producer: Michael Cuscuna
Review:
You would think
that after playing for more than half a century, performing with greats like
Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, leading and producing acclaimed recordings with
names of Eric Dolphy, Lee Morgan, and many others, that pianist/composer Andrew
Hill—who is nearly seventy years young—might be slowing down.
Thankfully for jazz fans, this is not the case.
The passage of time continues to unfold Hill’s creative ingenuity as he begins
his third era with Blue Note with Time Lines. Following the highly
praised recordings Dusk (2000), Beautiful Day(2002),
and an uncovered treasure that was recorded in 1969, Passing Ships (2004),
Hill’s music is still as vibrant and progressive as ever. Whether expressing
brilliant ideas through a seventeen-piece band, smaller ensembles, or as a
soloist, Hill’s enigmatic approach is a rare and wondrous experience.
Time Lines captures the essence of some of his earlier quintet
works with a working ensemble that has performed with him over the past few
years: drummer Eric McPherson, bassist John Herbert, clarinetist and
saxophonist Greg Tardy, and a reunion with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, who
played with Hill on early recordings. Like many great music leaders, such as
Ellington, Shorter, and Coltrane; Hill inspires and brings out the best in
already stellar musicians.
Tolliver, who
played with Hill in the ’60s, is a key presence with a poetic and smooth style.
Tardy, one of Hill’s choice horn players, is absolutely fierce on both sax and
clarinet. Herbert delivers a resonant and booming tone from his bass, full of
potency and dexterity; and McPherson is an impressive young lion who has
performed with names from Max Roach to Greg Osby. Together they form a cohesive
support for Hill to channel his always fruitful ideas.
As always, Hill is innovative in his approach, yet steadfast in delivering the
kind of music that has always been just outside of the mainstream, but never
alienates the listener. While his playing may not be as precise as it once was,
his musical vision is acute, as revealed by eight new compositions that are
challenging, lyrical and beautiful.
The music is bookended between two versions of “Malachi, dedicated to one of Hill’s earliest collaborators, the late bassist Malachi Favors (of the Art Ensemble of Chicago). The quintet version is pensive and alluring; Hill plays with probing notes and the horns serenely lift the melody afterward, offering stirring clarinet and trumpet solos. The later version features Hill playing solo piano, allowing him to articulate moods of both melancholy and reflection.
The remaining compositions are a study in modern improvisation. The title piece “Time Lines unfolds with a jagged cadence and pulsating bass, with the piano and horns echoing the phrase as singular voices deliver moving solos (In particular Tardy, who delivers a lyrical and dynamic saxophone solo.) “For Emilio, dedicated to the late painter Emilio Cruz, begins with a bass/clarinet intro that blossoms into an odd rhythm as Hill comps resolutely and ends with a melodic percussive drum solo from McPherson.
Timing plays a factor on two different interpretations of the composition “Ry Round. The swinging up-tempo pieces were recorded within one week intervals, producing two similar but varied contours from the same canvas of musicians. “Kin’ler is an atmospheric ballad with sweeping lines and a quiet tension, whereas “Smooth is a double-time cooker defined by the powerful rhythm section, swelling horns and flowering piano.
As time moves on, in the end it is all about the music. We should be thankful for an artist of this caliber whose music continues to resonate. Andrew Hill is a treasure, and Time Lines is one of the highlights of the year.
Mark F. Turner (All About Jazz)
