Lift Every Voice (Andrew Hill album)

Lift Every Voice is a studio album by American jazz pianist Andrew Hill featuring performances recorded in 1969 and released on the Blue Note label in 1970. The original album features Hill with a large choir performing five original compositions and the 2001 CD reissue added six additional compositions recorded in 1970 as bonus tracks.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars calling it a "remarkably advanced fusion of voices and jazz quintet". A contemporary review in DownBeat awarded the album three stars, panning the choral arrangements which, they wrote, "intrude annoyingly on music that otherwise might have made this a very fine jazz album".

Track listing

All compositions by Andrew Hill

1. "Hey Hey" - 7:55
2. "Lift Every Voice" - 8:06
3. "Two Lullabies" - 5:44
4. "Love Chant" - 5:42
5. "Ghetto Lights" - 5:13

<small>Bonus tracks on CD reissue:</small>

1. <li value=6> "Blue Spark" - 5:57
2. "A Tender Tale" - 6:58
3. "Drew's Tune" - 6:22
4. "Mother Mercy" - 5:16
5. "Natural Spirit" - 7:25
6. "Such It Is" - 5:37

Recorded on May 16, 1969 (tracks 1–5), March 6, 1970 (tracks 6–8) and March 13, 1970 (tracks 9–11).

Personnel

Original LP (1–5):

• Andrew Hill - piano
• Woody Shaw - trumpet
• Carlos Garnett - tenor saxophone
• Richard Davis - bass
• Freddie Waits - drums
• Joan Johnson, LaReine LaMar, Gail Nelson, Antenett Goodman Ray - vocals
• Lawrence Marshall - vocals, conductor

Bonus tracks, 1970 recording (6–11):

• Andrew Hill - piano
• Lee Morgan - trumpet
• Bennie Maupin - alto flute, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone
• Ron Carter - bass
• Ben Riley - drums
• Benjamin Franklin Carter, Milt Grayson, Hugh Harnell, Ron Steward, Lillian Williams - vocals
• Lawrence Marshall - vocals, conductor

References