Andrew Hill: Desire
Recorded: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, March 7, 1966
Rating: 98/100 (learn more)
I love the vibe of this piece. It’s very focused and dark, with a kind of lope to it. The bassline is really simple, but the way it’s played is evil! I mean that in the best way. It’s beyond bad! A mess!! I think what really sells it for me is that Walter Booker is playing almost a quarter tone flat, but because it’s in the bass register, it somehow works. It creates this sustained harmonic instability. He’s only playing two notes, the V to the I. I think it’s C-minor. But because it’s flat in just the right way, it warps and expands the richness of the spectrum harmonically; it thickens the tonal space. It’s a trance-like bassline that keeps repeating, and Andrew seems to be almost sleepwalking. I use the word “gone” about the way he’s playing there. I can immerse myself in it. It’s great to hear Andrew and Sam Rivers together.
There’s an alternate take of this tune, on which the bassist is more active. He’s interacting and sometimes walking. But I like the trance version better. I think the bending of the pitch enhances that, because it blurred the whole picture in such an interesting way. The reason it doesn’t get higher than 98 is because it’s sort of static, but I like the stasis.
Reviewer: Vijay Iyer
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