Andrew Hill – Smoke Stack

Very nice performance and compositions by Andrew Hill. A two bass approach can be cool, but I feel kind of miffed with how they are on top of each other in the soundstage. It's pretty claustrophobic, but I get a little more used to it as the album goes on. Still, not the best choice. If there even was a choice. RVG stereo recordings of late 50s and early 60s are often some of the best of their time in terms of fidelity, but I wonder if any thought went into instrument placement in the stereo space. Some of his recordings make me scratch my head in regard to this but I think he definitely put more attention to this area of recording as he got into the later 60s.

The first thing that strikes me is the blurry cover art. Inside is a thick, beautiful slab of vinyl....that's more like it!

What I hear is a medium soundstage with Hill's piano at the extreme left. Piano sound is full and clear. Percussion is at the right. Image is so detailed that you can hear where each instrument is placed on the drum set. The drum sound really pops. In the middle, we have two basses. The bass sound is muddled, with little or no separation of those two instruments. I found it impossible to distinguish who was playing what, and, most of the time, I could not really even tell that there were two basses playing. Two tracks sound much better: one song where one of the basses plays arco and one song where there is only one bass. In general, this instrumentation comes off as a failed experiment: it just doesn't sound very good. Vinyl is flat, but very far from silent. Quite a few little ticks along the way, nothing that ruins the experience, but you are regularly made aware that you are listening to a needle in a groove, that's for sure.

As an Andrew Hill fan, I'm glad to have this, but I can't help but reflect that this could be done much better, maybe doing it at 45 rpm would help. Recommended only to die-hard fans of this great artist.

My copy is completely flat, silent, and dynamic. Excellent press and an excellent album. Certainly not for everyone’s taste, but it’s weird to me that someone below would pay for the album and pan the music here when it’s readily available for free to try (streaming) before you buy.

Nice press. Sounds great. Happy. Ten words. Nice press !!

Top notch catering by Kevin Gray. These Blue Note 80 reissues are just as good as the Tone Poet's.

My copy is fabulous. Compare to some other Blue Note reissues, this one is dead silent, no pops nor clicks, great dynamics, deep bass, and heavy object.

This is an absolute killer record, the drums on this album sound so lively. As for most of the Blue Note reissues, absolute worth adding to my collection.

Finally the superb reissue of this gem. I did listen it three times, too hungry for it...Each Hill album on BN is remerkable and each is very hard to find in correct price. Recorded in the same year like Black Fire, which was along Point of Departure reissued in BN 75th a Tone Poet, but Smoke Stack last time in 90´s. Rare album that consists two bass. Davis, familiar with Hill more in front with pulsating sound and Kuhn creates some percussive support. But what a masterful solo in last song. The avant garde or free was not regular style for this label, so this session brings plenty of space for improvistaion and invention. And beautiful interaction between artists. All happened exceptional with strong original pieces. The great result has value of recording by Rudy van Gelder, who sensible cut two bass lines. My copy like many BN80 has excellent sound with limitation only by Optimal pressing, hopefully my copy perfect. Must have record.

Mine is very good quality, like another 80 Blue Note Reissue. Not a click, not a pop. Very silent.

Mine is great. Very, very silent. Not a click, not a pop