By Ed Enright | Published September 2024
Back in 2002, pianist/composer Andrew Hill’s large-ensemble album A Beautiful Day was a revelation, a landmark live recording from Birdland NYC that unveiled a brilliant and under-documented aspect of the hard-bop stalwart’s vast artistic vision. Now, a remixed and remastered version coming from Palmetto Records serves as an illumination of sorts, revealing finer musical details, expanding the sonic dimensions of the recording and providing additional material from that historic concert by the “Andrew Hill Sextet Plus 10” that wasn’t included on the original release. Indeed, the clarity-enhancing work done by producer Matt Balitsaris to create A Beautiful Day, Revisited heroically deepens the listening experience and further exposes the spirit of spontaneity and mutual trust that prevailed over the course of the group’s three-night engagement at the storied jazz club at a time when Big Apple artists and audiences were only just beginning to recover from the shock of 9/11. Available as two LPs/CDs, Revisited brings us a second, 16-minute performance of the title track (from the first night of the Birdland stint) that gives a sense of how different the intentionally under-rehearsed music could be from one night to the next. It also extends the band’s theme “11/8” from its one-minute running time on the original album to more than six minutes, during which Hill (1931–2007) introduces every member of the band, an impressive lineup to say the least. In addition to Hill’s piano, we hear from master improvisers of the day like tenor saxophonist Greg Tardy, multi-reedist Marty Ehrlich and trumpeter Ron Horton (all members of Hill’s working sextet at the time), as well as esteemed virtuosos such as John Savage on flute and alto, tuba player Jose Davila, tenor saxophonist Aaron Stewart, baritone saxophonist J.D. Parron, trombonist Charley Gordon and trumpeters Dave Ballou and Bruce Staelens. Other horn section players contributing to the dense and punchy ensemble passages include trumpeter Laurie Frink and trombonists Mike Fahn and Joe Fielder. From start to finish, Hill’s regular rhythm section anchors Scott Colley (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums) sustain the music’s unstoppable flow — which sometimes manifests as a detectable groove but more often emerges in waves of momentum that will resonate with listeners familiar with the free-jazz end of the jazz spectrum. But A Beautiful Day, Revisited is far from a chaotic affair; indeed, its beauty stems from Hill’s exquisite compositional touch, his gorgeous melodies, his distinctly nontraditional ensemble passages (conducted by Horton in the role of music director) and his mandate for transformative interpretation.
