The Future of Jazz is Now is a benchmark 14-track contemporary jazz showcase compiled and released in 2001 by the acclaimed independent label Palmetto Records. Designed to highlight the label's forward-thinking roster at the turn of the millennium, the collection balances established post-bop luminaries with pioneering modern voices. The compilation features vital compositions from bass mastermind Ben Allison, pianist Andrew Hill, saxophonist Dewey Redman, and legendary altoist Lee Konitz alongside The Axis String Quartet. Grounded in inventive arrangements, rich acoustic interplay, and adventurous improvisation, the album provides a comprehensive overview of progressive 21st-century jazz.

The CD reissue of Andrew Hill's remarkably advanced fusion of voices and jazz quintet not only resuscitates the long out of print 1969 LP Lift Every Voice from oblivion, it adds an entire unreleased, untitled album from 1970, more than doubling the original playing time. Having once composed a jazz opera, Hill usually treats his voices in a sustained operatic manner, but this is not a classical-jazz fusion; the voices are fastened onto a pure jazz quintet base. This is highly unusual, to say the least, yet it works surprisingly well, whether in wild wordless scat passages or when employed in the freedom-conscious lyrics of the title track. On the original Lift Every Voice album, Hill is joined by trumpeter Woody Shaw (who gets off some wicked muted licks on "Ghetto Lights"), an impassioned Carlos Garnett on tenor sax, Richard Davis on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums…

As the '60s drew to a close, Blue Note spent less time than ever with adventurous music, since it didn't sell as well as soul-jazz or mainstream hard bop. So, it may seem a little strange that the label invited Andrew Hill back to record in 1968, two years after he last cut a session for the label. Hill's work for the label stands among the most challenging cerebral post-bop of the '60s, but there was another side of Hill that wasn't showcased on those records: He also had a knack for groove and melody, as indicated by his composition "The Rumproller," a hard-grooving hard-bop classic made famous by trumpeter Lee Morgan. That was the side that Blue Note wanted to showcase on Grass Roots. Hill and his band were working from the basic template of making a commercial hard-bop album, but nevertheless pushed themselves to challenging territory…

Dreams Come True presents a historic and deeply intimate collaboration between two absolute titans of modern jazz, pianist Andrew Hill and drummer Chico Hamilton. Recorded over two days in March 1993 at the Master Sound Astoria Studios but unreleased until 2008, this remarkable document captures a profound musical conversation stripped down to its absolute essence. Operating in a rare duo setting, Hill and Hamilton demonstrate an extraordinary, almost telepathic level of communication and mutual respect. Hill's signature, complex harmonic structures and unpredictable phrase shifts find a perfectly fluid yet grounding counterpart in Hamilton's nuanced, deeply expressive drumming and percussive colorings. Spanning eight captivating tracks, including the fascinating, previously unreleased Composition B, the album reveals a masterclass in spontaneous interaction, creative phrasing, and intellectual depth, making it an indispensable and profoundly moving addition to the discographies of both legendary innovators.

Blue Black is a profoundly deep, rhythmically complex, and masterfully inventive post-bop quartet masterpiece by the legendary American avant-garde jazz pianist and composer Andrew Hill, originally recorded in 1975 and beautifully preserved here via Test of Time Records' highly collectible 2005 reissue. Spanning 37 minutes across five striking original compositions, this high-fidelity document captures the visionary bandleader during a brilliant mid-1970s creative run for the celebrated Japanese jazz imprint East Wind. Striking a sublime balance between structural discipline and fluid, open-ended improvisation, Hill's idiosyncratic, fragmented piano style guides a superb and deeply intuitive acoustic ensemble. The session features the sharp, expressive woodwind coloring of saxophonist and flautist Jimmy Vass, beautifully anchored by Chris White's deep, woody acoustic bass lines and Leroy Williams' crisp, multi-directional drumming. The tracklist is tightly sequenced and exceptionally focused, highlighted by the sprawling, polyrhythmic 10-minute opener Golden Spook, the delicate, impressionistic textures of Mist Flower, and the dark, simmering modal pathways of the Title Track. Exceptionally preserved in pristine lossless audio quality with complete artwork scans, this definitive reissue stands as a mandatory cornerstone and a prized collector's treasure for global purists of modern creative jazz, advanced post-bop composition, and the historic East Wind recording legacy.

Hommage is a profoundly deep, intimate, and masterfully introspective solo acoustic piano tour de force by the legendary American jazz icon and vanguard composer Andrew Hill, originally recorded in 1975 and beautifully preserved here via Universal Japan's highly collectable 2015 digital remaster for the East Wind Music archive series. Spanning nearly 38 minutes across seven striking, fluid structures, this high-fidelity document captures the famously complex bandleader completely stripped of an accompanying rhythm section, laying bare the absolute core of his idiosyncratic harmonic vocabulary and brilliant improvisational mind. Recorded in New York for the celebrated Japanese jazz label, Hill navigates the solo piano format with an orchestral sense of space, utilizing rolling avant-garde dissonances, unexpected rhythmic displacements, and fragments of deeply rooted blues phrasing. The tracklist features phenomenal, highly expressive original compositions alongside a stunningly unique, angular interpretation of Duke Ellington's timeless classic Sophisticated Lady. Highlights include the cascading modal pathways of Naked Spirit, the jagged momentum of Insanity Riff, and the sprawling, episodic closer Rambling. Exceptionally preserved in pristine lossless audio quality, this definitive Japanese reissue stands as a mandatory cornerstone and an absolute holy grail for global purists of solo acoustic jazz piano, advanced post-bop composition, and the historic East Wind catalog.

Lift Every Voice is a profoundly deep, majestic, and structurally groundbreaking masterpiece by the legendary American jazz pianist and composer Andrew Hill, recorded and released in 1969 on the iconic Blue Note label. Spanning over 70 minutes across 11 sweeping compositions, this high-fidelity archive captures one of the most uniquely ambitious projects in the entire Blue Note catalog, famously marrying Hill's intricate post-bop harmonic architectures with a multi-voiced human choir. Moving far beyond traditional gospel structures, Hill utilizes the vocal ensemble as a swelling, shifting horn section, weaving dense, avant-garde choral layers through his signature angular, complex modal piano arrangements. Backed by a brilliant, highly empathetic core instrumental trio, Hill's adventurous performance is beautifully grounded by deep acoustic bass work and crisp, driving percussion. The expansive tracklist features deeply emotional, politically and spiritually charged movements reflecting the turbulent cultural landscape of the late 1960s, highlighted by the soaring title track Lift Every Voice, the hauntingly beautiful Love Chant, and the rhythmically complex Ghetto Lights. Exceptionally preserved in pristine lossless audio quality with full insert artwork scans, this definitive historical archive stands as an absolute mandatory cornerstone and a prized collector's treasure for global purists of Blue Note history, modern choral jazz fusion, and advanced post-bop evolution.

Compulsion is a spectacularly intense, brilliant, and historically monumental avant-garde masterpiece by the legendary American jazz pianist and composer Andrew Hill, recorded and released in 1965 on the iconic Blue Note label. Spanning nearly 41 minutes across four staggering long-form movements, this high-fidelity document captures the visionary bandleader pushing the boundaries of post-bop into complex, multi-layered modal architectures and deep spiritual abstraction. Hill’s unmatched, rhythmically fractured piano playing is matched here by an absolutely legendary powerhouse ensemble of modern creative music giants. The horn line features a ferocious pairing of Freddie Hubbard’s searing trumpet fire and John Gilmore’s monumental, incendiary tenor saxophone work, beautifully grounded by Cecil McBee’s deep acoustic bass lines. Adding astronomical depth to the session is a dual-percussion engine featuring master drummer Joe Chambers alongside African percussionist Ndugu Leon Chancler, who infuse Hill's angular themes with complex polyrhythmic structures and intense kinetic energy. The tracklist features some of Hill's most ambitious writing, highlighted by the sprawling, 14-minute title track Compulsion, the jagged modal pathways of Premonition, and the rhythmically complex closer Limbo. Exceptionally preserved in pristine lossless audio with full original artwork scans, this definitive vintage archive stands as a mandatory cornerstone and an absolute holy grail for global purists of Blue Note history, advanced post-bop composition, and mid-1960s acoustic avant-garde jazz evolution.

Andrew Hill returned to the Blue Note label (where he made many significant releases during 1963-80) for a stimulating quintet date with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, altoist Greg Osby, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Ben Riley in 1989. The pianist's six originals (which are joined by three alternate takes on the CD) his dense chords behind the other improvisers and his own unpredictable solos are not all overshaowed by his talented sideman, even Osby who is heard in particularly inspired form. There are no weak performances on this superb post bop effort, Andrew Hill's strongest recording in several years.

Pax is one of those seminal Andrew Hill albums that sat locked in Blue Note's vaults for a decade before the first five cuts here were finally released as part of a double-LP package in 1975 entitled One for One. The final pair, recorded at the same time, didn't see the light of day until they appeared on the limited-edition Mosaic Select Blue Note recordings a decade after that. The personnel on this disc is a dream band: Hill with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Richard Davis, and Joe Chambers. All of the these players but Hubbard had played with Hill before, and the telepathy is simply synchronistic. The opening cut, "Eris," is a sprawling blues clocking in at nearly 11 minutes. Full of Hill's knotty harmonics, and truly fiery playing by Hill and Hubbard, it's one of Hill's finest moments on record from the mid-'60s…

Andrew Hill was one of the greatest pianists of the '60s, but he never quite received his due. Hill was a skillful, cerebral musician that consciously positioned his music between hard bop and free. He was at his peak in the mid-'60s, as his playing and composing continued to explore new territory. All of his seminal recordings for Blue Note between 1963 and 1966 are collected on the limited-edition, seven-disc box set The Complete Blue Note Andrew Hill Sessions (1963-66). During those three years, he recorded with an astonishing array of talents, including Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Sam Rivers, Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Richard Davis, Joe Chambers, John Gilmore, and Kenny Dorham. The box features 15 alternate takes, including ten previously unreleased cuts and a composition that has never been released…

Black Fire, Andrew Hill's debut record for Blue Note, was an impressive statement of purpose that retains much of its power decades after its initial release. Hill's music is quite original, building from a hard bop foundation and moving into uncharted harmonic and rhythmic territory. His compositions and technique take chances; he often sounds restless, searching relentlessly for provocative voicings, rhythms, and phrases. Black Fire borrows from the avant-garde, but it's not part of it - the structures remain quite similar to bop, and there are distinct melodies. Nevertheless, Hill and his band - comprised of tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Roy Haynes - are not content with the limitations of hard bop…

After four years mostly off of records, the innovative pianist/composer Andrew Hill re-emerged for this Freedom set, which has since been reissued on CD. The program is split between quintet numbers with altoist Lee Konitz (who doubles on soprano) and trumpeter Ted Curson, and quartet performances that showcase the somewhat forgotten altoist Robin Kenyatta. In addition, "Invitation," the one Hill nonoriginal, is taken as a spontaneous duet with Konitz.