Andrew Hill, From California with Love (side A)

Andrew Hill is known for his mid-60s Blue Note albums, especially Point of Departure, so it's interesting hearing him on his own. In many ways, despite the passage of a decade and the absence of an ensemble, 1979's From California with Love is not a radical change. Hill still has a foot in the avant-garde, but balances it with lyricism and melody that at times feels almost romantic. His compositions reveal their structure slowly—both pieces here evolve over entire album sides. His playing is fantastic, both when he is destroying the piano's top notes (the recording of this part sounds great too) and in the more fluid sections. The postcard design illustrates the title but relates little to the music, and Hill's confessional liner notes inside of the gatefold are entertaining.