Andrew Hill - Smokestack

I don't know what Andrew had in mind when he was making this album in terms of ideas but to me this is one of the most hard hitting and heavy albums that I have heard in jazz. The main factor why I find this to be so is the presence of two bassists. With that in mind I think you can envision what I mean by saying heavy. With only drums and a piano accompanying the duo this album is very dominant in lower notes. It's brooding, strangely depressing, towering and somewhat manic at times.

The music itself was recorded in 1963 but the album was released three years later. I think it's up to par with every other major release that was relevant at the time despite not being that known or popular. Since free jazz and more free explorations were in the spotlight when this was being made this album as well has very dissonant structures but it's still bound by rhythm for the most part. Andrew showcases us a lot of his musical prowess with plenty of solos and his sound is actually a quite good contrast to the bassists and drums. It's one of his best albums in my opinion and it's certainly my biggest favorite from his discography.

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How it sounds.