Artist:Andrew Hill
Song:Fish 'N' Rice
Album:Dance With Death
Andrew Hill was a very adventurous jazz pianist who got lost in the shuffle in the 60s but made a big comeback in recent years. He was born June 30, 1937 in Chicago. He started playing piano at age 13 and was mentored by the legendary Earl "Fatha" Hines. After studying for two years with classical composer Paul Hindemith, he started gigging for jazz musicians throughout the midwest. Hill moved to New York in the early 60s and made several albums for Blue Note in the 60s. His 1964 album Point Of Departure did well but by the late 60s, Blue Note wasn't much of a jazz label anymore. Dance With Death is a great album recorded in 1968 but it sat on the shelf until 1980. Musicians are Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Joe Farrell on sax, Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. It's a very strong record and I can't imagine why it sat in the vault. Like many jazz musicians, Hill turned to teaching, first at Colgate University and then at Portland State University. He occasionally recorded but didn't return to the spotlight until he moved back to New York in the 90s and formed his Point Of Departure band. He was more popular than ever until his death from lung cancer on Apr. 20, 2007 at age 69. Andrew Hill is a great pianist and should not be overlooked. Here's Andrew Hill performing. It doesn't give a date but it looks recent.
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