I knew pianist and composer Andrew Hill (1931-2007) a little. I met him at a few events, and we spoke a few times on the phone. He was a truly original musician, and although he left behind a fair number of printed interviews, there are not many on audio. So it is particularly interesting to hear him discuss his early years in this short interview with Claes Dahlgren. The radio script is dated August 15, 1966, and as with other interviews in this series, that means that it was recorded shortly before that date, and probably broadcast soon afterward in Sweden.
I was always puzzled by the fact that Hill kept making this Creole Haitian connection when there seems to be no evidence of that. Was he misinformed by his parents? Or was it some sort of obfuscation on his part?
Regarding Hill’s singular music, some interesting insights can be gathered from Joe Chambers. Through a musician acquaintance, a pianist by the name of Andres Vial - who is on Chambers newest Blue Note album – the drummer says that recording sessions were quite difficult, especially for the horn players, who had trouble getting a handle of his pieces. Hill himself apparently had trouble playing these for them on the piano.
It's interesting to hear Andrew talking about his brother being a classical pianist. The story he told Leonard Feather (per the liner notes to JUDGMENT!) is that his brother was a classical *violinist* and singer.
My suspicion is that neither were true. I think a good bit of Hill's dissembling was sublimation for the truly crippling poverty in which he grew up. Which is too bad, because some of the real-life details are fascinating!
I talked with Andrew a few times after concerts towards the end of his life, warm but not very talkative. When I interviewed Marty Erhlich for my thesis, I proposed that Andrew often let the music take shape vs. really directing the musicians, and Marty agreed with that assessment though that was most likely concerning his later sextet.
I appreciate Andrew admitting that things don't always sound good, or work out, in his music and notice (particularly in Blue Note alternate takes and unreleased cuts) that there are moments captured where he isn't at his best.
I will consistently point to the solo "Verona Rag" as a moment he so fully captures, that it validates his musicianship utterly. He just wasn't so much of a session player, usually his own recordings are well realized and he did throw together some fine tunes on his sideman hits even if he rarely sounds as perfect as Herbie, McCoy or Sonny Clark do on other's recordings.
I have to wonder whether the point Andrew Hill was making about A Creole Haitian connection was one about the founding of an African-diasporic American community in Chicago, linked to the founding of Chicago by Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable in the 1700s. DuSable was a creole (Black by American dichotomous geal/cultural definitions) who was born in Haiti (slave mother, French father) and who was a trader who supposedly founded Chicago. See this link or others: https://www.dusableheritage.com/history
Multiple things in Chicago are named for DuSable including a famous (predominantly Black) high school on Chicago's South Side that was well known for it's music program and to which many jazz great went (Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Richard Davis, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Johnny Griffin, John Gilmore).
I think the link between Chicago and it's Haitian-Creole roots may well be stressed in the oral traditions passed down among Chicago African American families. It stakes a claim of African diasporic origins of Chicago. It also evokes the creole origins of jazz in New Orleans and links to the New Orleans- Chicago- Mississippi migration patterns through which people and culture moved. I suspect these are the points Hill may have been making.
I was always puzzled by the fact that Hill kept making this Creole Haitian connection when there seems to be no evidence of that. Was he misinformed by his parents? Or was it some sort of obfuscation on his part?
Regarding Hill’s singular music, some interesting insights can be gathered from Joe Chambers. Through a musician acquaintance, a pianist by the name of Andres Vial - who is on Chambers newest Blue Note album – the drummer says that recording sessions were quite difficult, especially for the horn players, who had trouble getting a handle of his pieces. Hill himself apparently had trouble playing these for them on the piano.
Thank you very much for this, Lewis!
It's interesting to hear Andrew talking about his brother being a classical pianist. The story he told Leonard Feather (per the liner notes to JUDGMENT!) is that his brother was a classical *violinist* and singer.
My suspicion is that neither were true. I think a good bit of Hill's dissembling was sublimation for the truly crippling poverty in which he grew up. Which is too bad, because some of the real-life details are fascinating!
Thanks Lew! That's the stuff.
I talked with Andrew a few times after concerts towards the end of his life, warm but not very talkative. When I interviewed Marty Erhlich for my thesis, I proposed that Andrew often let the music take shape vs. really directing the musicians, and Marty agreed with that assessment though that was most likely concerning his later sextet.
I appreciate Andrew admitting that things don't always sound good, or work out, in his music and notice (particularly in Blue Note alternate takes and unreleased cuts) that there are moments captured where he isn't at his best.
I will consistently point to the solo "Verona Rag" as a moment he so fully captures, that it validates his musicianship utterly. He just wasn't so much of a session player, usually his own recordings are well realized and he did throw together some fine tunes on his sideman hits even if he rarely sounds as perfect as Herbie, McCoy or Sonny Clark do on other's recordings.
I have to wonder whether the point Andrew Hill was making about A Creole Haitian connection was one about the founding of an African-diasporic American community in Chicago, linked to the founding of Chicago by Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable in the 1700s. DuSable was a creole (Black by American dichotomous geal/cultural definitions) who was born in Haiti (slave mother, French father) and who was a trader who supposedly founded Chicago. See this link or others: https://www.dusableheritage.com/history
Multiple things in Chicago are named for DuSable including a famous (predominantly Black) high school on Chicago's South Side that was well known for it's music program and to which many jazz great went (Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Richard Davis, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Johnny Griffin, John Gilmore).
I think the link between Chicago and it's Haitian-Creole roots may well be stressed in the oral traditions passed down among Chicago African American families. It stakes a claim of African diasporic origins of Chicago. It also evokes the creole origins of jazz in New Orleans and links to the New Orleans- Chicago- Mississippi migration patterns through which people and culture moved. I suspect these are the points Hill may have been making.
Has anyone caught what Hill says here at 2:20?
"Like in most things, musicians call [unintelligible], when you get ready to go out, you hit a few hot block chords and go out."