Andrew Hill's first album since 1990's
But Not Farewell is also his first for Palmetto, a daring indie label for which his unorthodox music is perfectly suited. A fascinating song cycle inspired by Jean Toomer's 1923 book Cane,
Dusk finds the veteran pianist at the helm of a phenomenal new sextet comprised of
Ron Horton on trumpet, Gregory Tardy and
Marty Ehrlich on saxophones,
Scott Colley on bass, and
Billy Drummond on drums. The somewhat lengthy title track, built upon a repeated bassline, has the horns executing thick harmonies and darting unison passages. "Sept" and "15/8" are extended, frenetic forays into odd meter. "Tough Love" and "Focus" are unaccompanied piano solos that offer new insights into
Hill's unpredictable musical language. "ML" and "Ball Square" are two relatively brief selections: the former a waltz, the latter an uptempo swing with a half-time interlude that strongly evokes
Charles Mingus. "T.C." is a tribute to the late saxophonist
Thomas Chapin, featuring Tardy and
Ehrlich on dueling bass clarinets. (No bass clarinet credits are given on the CD jacket.) With
Dusk,
Andrew Hill makes it plain that his uncompromising musical vision is intact, undiluted, and perhaps more advanced than ever.