Marvin X on Andrew Hill, Black Arts Movement Black Classic Music pianist
When Andrew Hill performed at Black Arts West Theatre, San Francisco, 1966, Fillmore District, I thought he was the most far out pianist I'd ever heard. I mean, really, he was out out and beyond out, although I'd yet heard Sun Ra or even Monk in person, although I had listened to Monk and found him a fellow traveler in my soul. For sure, I loved Monk's After Midnight and wrote a poem on his demise:
Round Midnight
Monk's gone
but I ain't blue
Monk's gone
but I ain't blue
where he's goin
I'm goin' too
Love is always around
tryin' ta steal life
Love is always around
tryin' ta steal life
If it don't get the husband
It'll get the wife
Monk's gone
but I ain't blue.
Where he's goin'
I'm goin' too.
--Marvin X
7/1/16 revised
But I never forgot Andrew Hill performane at BAW, a concert beyond the beyond and we love you Andrew for blessing Black Arts West Theatre, San Francisco, 1966, with your message of far out love and kindness. Andrew, we went with you when you journeyed to outter space and would later join Sun Ra and John Gilmore, et. al. Andrew, you took us to places we feared to travel and when we got there we loved you for taking us there, along with Sun Ra, John Gilmore, Danny Thompson, Marshall Allen, et al. When we got to Harlem 1968, we connected with your fellow travelers, drummer Milford Graves, so radical he was banned from playing downtown in jazz clubs. Milford, a one man army like ourselves, so bad he invented a drum machine to heal diseased hearts with various drum beats. After all, Sun Ra taught us it's all about vibration. "Marvin, armies march to music, didn't you know?"
Andrews music was mind vibration, healing music for sick souls caught in the toxicity of the wilderness of North Ameruca. Andrew, dare to take us there, dare to go beyond the beyond no matter the transformation of brain cells and heart beats, take us there to the healing station on the cross and lynching tree as Rev. Cone taught us (see his interview with Bill Moyers, PBS).
Pianist and composer Andrew Hill
was born on June 30, 1931 in Chicago,
Illinois.
Piano began for him at 13 with the
enthusiastic encouragement of Earl
Hines. As a teenager he gigged
with Charlie Parker and Miles Davis.
He released a string of masterpiece
albums as a leader for Blue Note in
the 1960s with sidemen including Joe Chambers,
Richard Davis, Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson,
Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones,
Woody Shaw, Tony Williams, and John Gilmore.
After the 1960s, he focused on opportunities
to perform his own compositions and taught
at Wesleyan University, University of Michigan,
University of Toronto, Harvard University and
Bennington College.
Video:
http://www.jazzonthetube.com/page/7817.html
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