Point of Departure (Andrew Hill album)
Point of Departure is a studio album by American jazz pianist and composer Andrew Hill, recorded in 1964 and released in 1965 on the Blue Note label. It features Hill in a sextet with alto saxophonist Eric Dolphy, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Tony Williams.
| Point of Departure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1965[1] | |||
| Recorded | March 21, 1964 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde jazz | |||
| Length | 40:11 (LP) 57:16 (CD reissue) | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Alfred Lion | |||
| Andrew Hill chronology | ||||
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Point of Departure was reissued on CD by Blue Note in 1988 and again in 1999 when recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder remastered the album, adding alternate takes of "New Monastery", "Flight 19", and "Dedication".
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Penguin Guide to Jazz | plus crown[3] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek calls the album "a stellar date, essential for any representative jazz collection, and a record that, in the 21st century, still points the way to the future for jazz".[2] The Penguin Guide to Jazz gives the album a four-star rating plus a special "crown" accolade, and includes it as part of a selected "Core Collection."[3] "Dedication" was originally titled "Cadaver" and wants to "express a feeling of great loss". The sad aura of the piece was such that, after playing a section of said piece, Dorham teared up a bit.[5]
Track listing
All music is composed by Andrew Hill
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Refuge" | 12:16 |
| 2. | "New Monastery" | 7:05 |
| 3. | "Spectrum" | 9:47 |
| 4. | "Flight 19" | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Dedication" | 6:45 |
| 6. | "New Monastery" (Alternate Take) | 6:13 |
| 7. | "Flight 19" (Alternate Take) | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Dedication" (Alternate Take) | 7:01 |
Tracks 6, 7, 8 not part of original album
Personnel
Musicians
- Kenny Dorham – trumpet
- Eric Dolphy – alto saxophone (1, 2, 3), bass clarinet (3, 4, 5), flute (3)
- Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone (all), flute (3)
- Andrew Hill – piano
- Richard Davis – double bass
- Tony Williams – drums
Production
- Alfred Lion – production
- Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineering
- Nat Hentoff – liner notes
- Reid Miles – photography, design
References
- Billboard May 8, 1965
- Jurek, Thom. Point of Departure – Andrew Hill | AllMusic at AllMusic. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 702. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
- Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- Liner notes by Nat Hentoff