Judgment!

Occupation

• Vibraphone: Bobby Hutcherson
• Piano: Andrew Hill
• Bass: Richard Davis
• Drums: Elvin Jones

Judgment! is a jazz album by Andrew Hill, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on January 8, 1964 and released in 1964 on Blue Note Records.

The album

Since 1962, the Blue Note boss Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff experimented with new developments in jazz and produced as a first tentative step in this direction an album by Jackie McLean with the programmatic title One Step Beyond; to his quartet was among other things the vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. In September 1963, Alfred Lion, the young pianist Andrew Hill was launched when he accompanied on his album Joe Henderson Our Thing; Hill was considered a unique and prolific composer, his music was so far free, as they did not follow the traditional jazz structures, but had their own sophisticated internal logic. Few could play the music; but fortunately succeeded Lion to bring together the pianist with the people who understood the music. Alfred Lion's commitment to Hill was so great that Blue Note in just five months Hills first albums Black Fire, Smokestack, Judgment! could record and his masterpiece Point of Departure, before even a single album was released it.

The recorded in January 1964 Judgment! was 10 weeks before Andrew Hills classic Point of Departure, which was recorded in March with Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy and Joe Henderson. Since his debut, the more conventional Blackfire his compositions were released from conventional structures. Hill modified the existing structures of the hard bop and integrated harmonic and rhythmic elements of modal jazz and the avant-garde jazz. The harmonic structure of each composition are complex; flow smoothly while dissonant chords and fast, melodic improvisations on each other. Hills piano playing stands out in this context created by himself, but Bobby Hutcherson is equal to the pianist, with its complex and provocative solos and its unexpected melodic counter designs. The jazz critic Leonard Feather, who in 1964 wrote the liner notes to the album, especially raises the rank Andrew Hills as a composer in the present album out. Its first title " Siete Ocho " - meaning "Seven - Eight " as a clock sequence - begins with an introductory pulsing bass line of Richard Davis, followed by Hutcherson and then from Hill. Feather describes the mood of the piece as " exotic ", emphasized by unusual and volatile rhythms, the harmonic texture of the composition receives its substance from the execution of the theme and the mood in the cutscenes. " Flea Flop" Hill named after the first notes of the piece, reminiscent of a jumping flea. He dedicated it ironic hotels and motels all over the country, where travelers had to stay usually on her tours jazz sideman. The melody is based on a neuntaktigen construction, played twice in 4/4-time. " Yokada, Yokada " means as the old song " Yakety Yak " a senseless dialogue between people. The main phrase consists of dissonance between Hill and vibraphonist; Hill sets quarter-note accents, alluding to the Hutcherson. Elvin Jones is a break with a drum solo. The ballad-like piece "Alfred" devoted Hill Blue Note producer; Leonard Feather sees the " beauty of this theme in the complicated structure of melody and harmony." " My game is usually based on it to play around the melody ," the pianist characterizes his style of play, especially in this piece. The title track "Judgment " was inspired by a poem that wrote Andrew Hills wife Laverne. Meanwhile message based on the Bible verse from John VIII, verse 7, "He who is without sin cast the first stone ". The theme of the last track " Reconciliation" is played first by Hill three times, then sets Richard Davis for his solo, accompanied by Hutcherson and Elvin Jones. This is followed by a longer improvisation by pianist joins which plays the theme again and again. The piece ends with a surprise when it suddenly breaks off in the repetition of the opening theme before the last note.

Effective history

The All Music Guide, the album four and a half star awarded, it is one of Andrew Hills main publications. Martin Kunzler also counts the album in his Jazz Encyclopedia of the most important albums of the pianist in the 1960s. The All Music Guide gives the album the second highest rating.

The title

• Andrew Hill Quartet - Judgment! ( Blue Note BN 4159 / BST 84159/28981 )

All compositions are by Andrew Hill.