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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine Andrew Hill’s unique approach to improvisatory performance, which, by his final decade, integrated practices from free jazz and post-bop styles. Characteristics of Hill’s group performance practice are determined using a method that combines musical analysis with a phenomenological approach, incorporating the subjective experience of the author and Hill’s sideman John Hébert, who was interviewed for this study. Multiple recordings of Hill’s composition “Smooth” are analyzed, along with its corresponding notation, to determine the processes involved in realizing performances from his sketch-like conceptions. The analysis highlights different musical textures developed in performance through interaction and a modular organizational structure—a cyclical framework previously identified in Hill’s solos by Wallmark (2008). This study contributes to an understanding of Hill’s music and artistry, while providing insight into the avant-garde and post-bop performance practices that emerged in the 1960s.

Details

Title
Smooth: Andrew Hill's Textural Performance Practice
Author
Kress, Henryk
Year
2018
Publisher
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
ISBN
978-0-438-12188-1
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2070571359
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.