Andrew Hill - Morning Flower feat. Art Lewis & Chris White

The history of blues in America is fraught. The genre in the U.S. was created out of pains many in the Black community felt from being subjugated and marginalized. Born from the spirituals sung during slavery, the blues became a cathartic style, a way to artfully express sadness and create a sense of commiseration amongst a hurting community. Soon, the genre’s best players began getting a little bit of recognition and were able to cut a few records. Those albums weren’t as respected in the United States as they were in other regions of the world because of the inherent prejudice baked into the American social fabric. When those albums made it across the Atlantic Ocean, however, British musicians, who didn’t have the same history as Americans, began to honor and cherish the sounds. They tried to emulate them, too. That’s when bands... began to be global forces. They loved... artists who, in America, were barely making enough to get to the next gig. But in the U.K. they were gods.

Later, when the British invasion kicked in full swing... the blues and its players earned more recognition and opportunity. After the British invasion, blues was heard more and more on the radio. White folks were showing up more and more in the Black clubs in the U.S. to hear where it all came from. It was a testament to the power of the music and also the largely repressive nature of the times.
Source: Buddy Guy Lives for the Blues, “If I Can Make You Smile, I Can Sleep Better”by Jacob Uitti


Andrew Hill - Morning Flower feat. Art Lewis & Chris White

• Released on: Invitation album
• Recorded on: October 17, 1974
• Written by: Andrew Hill

"Andrew Hill was a uniquely gifted composer, pianist and educator although his status remained largely inside knowledge in the jazz world for most of his career. Hill recorded for Blue Note Records for nearly a decade, producing a dozen albums."

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