Andrew Hill’s reputation in jazz is based on the solid foundations of 12 Blue Note albums he made between 1963 and 1969. While much of the cutting edge of jazz in the 1960s erred towards the freedom principal, Hill’s quiet revolution was based on a reassessment and realignment of the conventions of the hard-bop style. This he succeeded in doing from a compositional perspective, using memorable yet complex lines built on labyrinthine harmonic changes, the title ‘New Monastery’ for example, from this album, is a case in point. Here is a master craftsman at work, and surrounded by an ensemble of some of the very best post-bop musicians of the day Point of Departure emerges as one of the high spots in his distinguished discography. This beautiful facsimile reissue is part of the official Spanish Blue Note Collection’s Limited Edition series of classic titles. Pressed on 180gm virgin vinyl, the sound quality is fresh and vivid, far superior to the original CD release of the album circa 1991, but missing the three alternate takes added to the Rudy Van Gelder Edition of 1999.