Andrew Hill

Point of Departure was recorded for Blue Note in 1964 and brought together Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson, Kenny Dorham, Richard Davis, and Tony Williams. The album uses post-bop structures, but Hill's writing keeps the harmony and rhythm unstable in a way that still sounds advanced.

Hill sits between hard bop and the avant-garde rather than fitting cleanly into either camp. Albums like Black Fire and Point of Departure keep composed forms, but the solos and rhythms often push beyond conventional Blue Note hard bop.

Black Fire, his 1963 Blue Note debut as a leader, is the natural next step. It features Joe Henderson and Roy Haynes and makes Hill's angular piano writing easier to isolate than the larger ensemble on Point of Departure.

Yes. Hill was primarily valued as a composer-pianist, and many of his Blue Note albums are built around his own pieces rather than standards.