Description
Andrew Hill – Dance with Death – 180 Gram Tone Poet Vinyl Record
Dance with Death was recorded in 1968 during one of Andrew Hill’s richest compositional periods, but Blue Note did not release the session until 1980. The quintet features Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Joe Farrell on tenor and soprano saxophones, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums, giving Hill a flexible group for music that constantly changes perspective.
“Yellow Violet” combines a memorable front-line theme with rhythmic details that keep the performance from settling into routine. “Partitions” is more fragmented, using separated phrases and open space as part of the composition. Tolliver’s bright attack and Farrell’s reed colors make the written contrasts easy to hear.
“Fish ’n Rice” adds humor and bustle without simplifying Hill’s harmonic language. Higgins is crucial throughout the session, shaping transitions with cymbal accents and compact fills. Sproles anchors the pieces while remaining mobile enough to follow Hill’s abrupt changes of direction.
The title composition is the album’s most concentrated statement, balancing ominous ensemble writing with alert, conversational solos. “Love Nocturne” brings a cooler lyrical atmosphere, and “Black Sabbath” closes with a heavy, deliberate theme that is unrelated to the rock band but fully suited to its title.
This Tone Poet edition brings the six-track session to 180-gram vinyl with all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray and a deluxe gatefold jacket. It presents an overlooked Hill date with the same production care given to the best-known titles in the Blue Note catalog.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Record Details
Artist: Andrew Hill
Title: Dance with Death
Format: 180 Gram Tone Poet Vinyl Record
Label: Blue Note Records
Release year: 1968
UPC: 602438370764
Track Listing
A1. Yellow Violet
A2. Partitions
A3. Fish ’n Rice
B1. Dance with Death
B2. Love Nocturne
B3. Black Sabbath
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