Andrew Hill Judgement! CD

Personnel: Andrew Hill (piano); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Richard Davis (bass); Elvin Jones (drums).
Producer: Alfred Lion.
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on January 8, 1964.
Personnel: Andrew Hill (piano); Andrew Hill; Richard Davis (bass instrument); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Elvin Jones (drums).
Audio Remasterer: Rudy Van Gelder.
Liner Note Authors: Leonard Feather; Bob Blumenthal.
Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (01/08/1964).
Photographer: Francis Wolff.
Andrew Hill's previous 1964 outing on Blue Note, the trio-only SMOKE STACK, had drummer Roy Haynes sounding so much like Elvin Jones that Hill brought in the real thing for next quartet session, JUDGEMENT! True to form, the always fiery Jones gets things off to an explosive start on "Siete Ocho," with Hill and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson keeping up as best they can. The warmly inventive Hutcherson remained an ideal musical partner for the abstract-minded pianist-composer, which was somewhat the same role that the bluesy vibraphonist Milt Jackson played with John Lewis in the Modern Jazz Quartet--except that, as a pianist, Andrew Hill is nowhere near as restrained as the spare and sometimes decorous Lewis. The '60s avant-gardist is a prodigious, meaty musician, taking us on a dark, chromatic journey in all his extended improvisations. JUDGEMENT! is like an MJQ session opened up for a musically (and politically) radicalized '60s.
Augmenting his rhythm section of bassist Richard Davis and drummer Elvin Jones with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, pianist Andrew Hill records an excellent set of subdued but adventurous post-bop with Judgment. Without any horns, the mood of the session is calmer than Black Fire, but Hill's compositions take more risks than before. Close listening reveals how he subverts hard bop structure and brings in rhythmic and harmonic elements from modal jazz and the avant-garde. The harmonic structure on each composition is quite complex, fluctuating between dissonant chords and nimble, melodic improvisations. Naturally, Hill's playing shines in this self-created context, but Hutcherson equals the pianist with his complex, provocative solos and unexpected melodic juxtapositions. Jones shifts the rhythms with style, and his solos are exceptionally musical, as is Davis' fluid bass. The combination of the band's intricate interplay and the stimulating compositions make Judgment another important release from Hill. It may require careful listening, but the results are worth it. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Augmenting his rhythm section of bassist Richard Davis and drummer Elvin Jones with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, pianist Andrew Hill records an excellent set of subdued but adventurous post-bop with Judgment!. Without any horns, the mood of the session is calmer than Black Fire, but Hill's compositions take more risks than before. Close listening reveals how he subverts hard bop structure and brings in rhythmic and harmonic elements from modal jazz and the avant-garde. The harmonic structure on each composition is quite complex, fluctuating between dissonant chords and nimble, melodic improvisations. Naturally, Hill's playing shines in this self-created context, but Hutcherson equals the pianist with his complex, provocative solos and unexpected melodic juxtapositions. Jones shifts the rhythms with style, and his solos are exceptionally musical, as is Davis' fluid bass. The combination of the band's intricate interplay and the stimulating compositions make Judgment! another important release from Hill. It may require careful listening, but the results are worth it. [This RVG edition has been remastered.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine