Are you ready for some weird-azz jazz? Good. If not, you may go back to playing with your blocks for a while.

Andrew Hill, who recorded a series of highly regarded albums for Blue Note in the early 60s, is difficult to fit into any of the established timeline categories of jazz. Critics point out that although the Chicago-based pianist and composer operated with the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic freedom introduced by the avant-garde or “free jazz” movement, he didn’t abandon the traditional bop conception of chord changes and tune structure. Thus, to put it in a lay person’s terms, it doesn’t suck. This is challenging stuff, but it’s still funky and swinging, and it’ll have you nodding your head while you stroke your chin.

“Pumpkin” is the leadoff track on the 1963 album “Black Fire.” I’d never heard of Andrew Hill, but jazz anthologies always give this one five stars, so I gave it a shot. Besides, if you’re any kind of jazz fan, you tend to check out albums featuring Joe Henderson on tenor and the ageless Roy Haynes on drums (props to Richard Davis on bass as well). “Black Fire” was recently re-released along with new liner notes and bonus tracks as one of Blue Note’s Rudy Van Gelder remaster editions.

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