Live at Montreux

AMG Review of Live at Montreux

Ken Dryden
All Music Guide

Andrew Hill hadn't been recording much for a few years by the time of this 1975 concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and one wonders why while listening to this very entertaining solo performance. His jagged, jaunty, and often humorous "Snake Hip Waltz" proves to be a captivating opener, never losing steam during its 11-plus minutes. On the other hand, "Nefertsis" is almost dirge-like by comparison, though just as intriguing. Unfortunately, the last two tracks have their titles switched, so the nearly 18-minute abstract piece is actually Hill's "Relativity," while the relatively brief (at just under five minutes) final song is Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday"; although this interpretation has its wild side and broken rhythms at times, the pianist is true to the gospel flavor of the composer's original composition. This very enjoyable CD may be somewhat difficult to find due to the erratic availability of Freedom releases.