Review
by Thom Jurek
The 1966 edition of the Andrew Hill Quartet included saxophonist Sam Rivers, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer J.C. Moses. This group recorded what was to be the first of Andrew Hill's four "free" sessions for Blue Note. The other three were all recorded in 1967 and were solo piano sessions. Two of those dates along with an Artist House LP were released on the Mosaic Select Andrew Hill box. Hill's classic, brilliant, and still-outside date Dance with Death from 1968, featuring Joe Farrell, Charles Tolliver, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins, was not issued until 1980 and made its first compact disc appearance in 2004. Change has an interesting story in that it wasn't released at the time of recording and remained in the can until 1975, when it was issued under Sam Rivers' name as part of a Blue Note double as part of a two-LP set called Involution. The other disc was a Rivers-led date (from 1967) with a different band that hit CD shelves in 1998 under the title Dimensions and Extensions. Change as it was recorded and edited -- and even given a catalog number (84233) -- is supplemented here with two bonus tracks from the date. All this music was previously released on CD in limited edition (and now sold out) as The Complete Blue Note Andrew Hill Sessions (1963-66). 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, and one need go no further than the 11-minute opening cut, "Violence," where Hill's chords lie behind a bristling opening solo by Rivers. Hill takes the solo from Rivers, quoting from stride piano blues and Thelonious Monk, and then enters into a spiky duet with the saxophonist before a bass solo and Hill entering on harpsichord. Rivers brings the head back in and moves it to the margins again. This fiery interplay is a long example of what lies in wait for those who've never encountered this music before. It is Hill at his most intense and focused, with an eager group of players who were all excellent listeners. In contrast, "Pain," the album's second track, feels like anything but, with a swinging, Monk-like theme before Sproles takes over with a bass solo that keeps the theme in clear view. Rivers isn't present here at all; it's a trio number that strides and lopes with a killer piano solo by Hill. The saxophonist doesn't re-enter the picture until the middle of the next cut, "Illusion," with a Latin-tinged rhythmic motif and wonderful playing by Moses. When Rivers does enter, his melodic strut -- courtesy of the composer -- feels like a beautiful nod to Ornette. And so it goes with one delight after another -- including a gorgeous trio ballad called "Lust" that brought the original album to a close. This is one of the most out and out structured "free" dates of the entire 1960s. 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. Hill never got to see this date come out on its own on disc. He passed away a month and a half before.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/change-mw0000779831
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Reseña
por Thom Jurek
La edición de 1966 del Andrew Hill Quartet incluía al saxofonista Sam Rivers, al bajista Walter Booker y al batería J.C. Moses. Este grupo grabó la que sería la primera de las cuatro sesiones "libres" de Andrew Hill para Blue Note. Las otras tres se grabaron en 1967 y fueron sesiones de piano solo. Dos de esas sesiones, junto con un LP de Artist House, se publicaron en la caja Mosaic Select Andrew Hill. El clásico de Hill, brillante y todavía fuera de fecha Dance with Death de 1968, con Joe Farrell, Charles Tolliver, Victor Sproles y Billy Higgins, no se publicó hasta 1980 e hizo su primera aparición en disco compacto en 2004. Change tiene una historia interesante, ya que no se publicó en el momento de la grabación y permaneció en la lata hasta 1975, cuando se publicó bajo el nombre de Sam Rivers como parte de un doble de Blue Note dentro de un conjunto de dos LP llamado Involution. El otro disco era una fecha dirigida por Rivers (de 1967) con una banda diferente que llegó a las estanterías de CD en 1998 bajo el título Dimensions and Extensions. Change, tal y como se grabó y editó -e incluso se le asignó un número de catálogo (84233)-, se complementa aquí con dos temas extra de la fecha. Toda esta música se publicó anteriormente en CD en edición limitada (y ahora agotada) como The Complete Blue Note Andrew Hill Sessions (1963-66). Esta banda toca al aire libre, pero no se trata de "free jazz" en el sentido original del término. De hecho, es música compuesta, con mucho espacio para la improvisación, y uno no necesita ir más allá del corte de apertura de 11 minutos, "Violence", donde los acordes de Hill se encuentran detrás de un erizado solo inicial de Rivers. Hill toma el solo de Rivers, citando el stride piano blues y a Thelonious Monk, y luego entra en un dúo punzante con el saxofonista antes de un solo de bajo y la entrada de Hill al clavicordio. Rivers vuelve a meter la cabeza y la desplaza de nuevo a los márgenes. Esta ardiente interacción es un largo ejemplo de lo que aguarda a quienes nunca se han topado con esta música. Es Hill en su momento más intenso y concentrado, con un ansioso grupo de músicos que fueron todos excelentes oyentes. Por el contrario, "Pain", la segunda pista del álbum, parece cualquier cosa menos eso, con un tema oscilante, a lo Monk, antes de que Sproles tome el relevo con un solo de bajo que mantiene el tema a la vista. Rivers no está presente aquí en absoluto; es un número a trío que da zancadas y corre con un solo de piano matador de Hill. El saxofonista no vuelve a entrar en escena hasta la mitad del siguiente corte, "Illusion", con un motivo rítmico de tintes latinos y una maravillosa interpretación de Moses. Cuando Rivers entra, su puntal melódico, cortesía del compositor, parece un hermoso guiño a Ornette. Y así sucesivamente, con una delicia tras otra, incluida una preciosa balada a trío llamada "Lust" que pone punto final al álbum original. Esta es una de las citas "libres" más estructuradas de toda la década de 1960. Es una pena que este conjunto no llegara a grabar más juntos, porque al final del álbum parece como si acabaran de empezar. Hill nunca llegó a ver esta fecha por sí sola en disco. Falleció un mes y medio antes.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/change-mw0000779831
1 - "Violence" - 11:06
2 - "Pain" - 3:53
3 - "Illusion" - 5:54
4 - "Hope" - 7:17
5 - "Lust" - 5:16
6 - "Desire" - 6:33
7 - "Violence" [alternate take] - 7:01 Bonus track on CD reissue
8 - "Desire" [alternate take] - 8:30 Bonus track on CD reissue
Credits:
Bass – Walter Booker
Drums – J.C. Moses
Piano, Composed By – Andrew Hill
Tenor Saxophone – Sam Rivers
Recorded on March 7, 1966 at the Van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Recorded At – Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Tracks 1-6 originally issued under Sam River's name in 1976 on Involution (Blue Note BN-LA453-2).
Tracks 7 & 8 originally issued in 1995 on The Complete Blue Note Andrew Hill Sessions 1963-66 (Mosaic MD7-161).
Label: Blue Note – 0946 3 85190 2 7
Series: Blue Note Connoisseur Series
Country: US
Released: 2007
Genre: Jazz
Style: Free Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/2681046-Andrew-Hill-Change
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