Andrew Wilcox is one of the most promising new voices I’ve heard on the piano in a long time. Dear Mr. Hill is a great example of showing how he’s steeped in the tradition of those that came before him while at the same time finding his own voice as both a musician as well as composer/arranger. Andrew was raised in Worcester, MA, the hometown of pianist Jaki Byard.

His earliest musical education came from pianist Dick Odgren as well as the Joy of Music Program, a community music school in Worcester. Later, he would attend the Litchfield Jazz Camp where would meet some important musicians that would become future mentors, band members, and peers. Between the Joy of Music Program and the Litchfield Jazz Camp, he discovered a love for the music that inspired him to pursue a career in jazz.

This inspiration brought him to the Hartt School in Hartford, CT where he would study with the likes of Rick Germanson, Javon Jackson, Nat Reeves, and Steve Davis as well as a mentorship with pianist Zaccai Curtis. Between his love for pianist Andrew Hill & McCoy Tyner along with his college education, Andrew would begin to craft a voice for himself as a pianist and composer that embodied his musical influences while at the same time have a unique voice that solely belongs to him.

Dear Mr. Hill sees Andrew in a trio setting with Avery Sharpe on bass and Yoron Israel on drums, 2 mentors that have been an integral part of his growth and development. Between his arrangements of standards as well as his original compositions, you will hear the beginning of a journey that we will all have the pleasure of exploring as Andrew continues to grow and develop. As someone who has served as a teacher and mentor to Andrew, I can tell you now that this album is a labor of love that you will enjoy and will make you want to know what’s next for Andrew Wilcox.