Point Of Departure - LP

Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Release 18/11/22

Point Of Departure is not only one of the greatest jazz recordings of 1964, but of all time. The stellar lineup (Eric Dolphy, Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, Richard Davis and a teen aged Tony Williams) was given a set of challenging compositions by the brilliant pianist and composer Andrew Hill. This group created the album known as Point of Departure, an acknowledged modern day classic and one of Blue Notes most extraordinary recordings. Andrew Hill was a quiet revolutionary, but he was every bit as original in his conception as Thelonious Monk. Hill extended, twisted and turned hard bop into his own very fresh and personal music. Like Eric Dolphy, Hill spawned few imitators. His conception was so pure, and so unique, both as a player and as an arranger-composer that nearly a half century later, Point Of Departure remains a brilliant touchstone of modern jazz.

Alfred Lion considered Andrew Hill his last major discovery and rightly so. Hill's rich, rhythmic piano and utterly unique compositions stand alone. Point Of Departure is Hill's masterpiece with rich three-horn arrangements for Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy and Joe Henderson. Richard Davis and Tony Williams complete this high level ensemble.

Tracks:
Refuge
New Monastery
Spectrum
Flight 19
Dedication