Splendid Vibes

ON THE FIRST TRACK of his first album as a leader, Bobby Hutcherson doesn’t solo until four minutes into the song. It’s “If Ever I Would Leave You,” from the then-recent Broadway show “Camelot,” and we start out with the domineering inventiveness of Joe Henderson on tenor sax. Recorded at the very end of 1963, this album, titled “The Kicker” after a Henderson original, wasn’t released until Mosaic’s Michael Cuscuna oversaw its issue in 1999.

And it seems to be a Henderson showcase throughout, although when Hutcherson brings his vibes to the fore, it’s always arresting. As in a Joe Chambers ballad, “Mirrors,” that puts Hutcherson squarely in the forefront and doesn’t welcome Henderson in until the four-minute mark.

Hutcherson was a performer steeped in the swing-era language of the vibraphone but with the innovations of Milt Jackson intruding to push Hutcherson’s creativity even beyond as he leaped into the world of hard bop. In that regard, he’s well-matched on this recording by pianist Duke Pearson. Listen to the piano on “For Duke P.,” a Hutcherson original, where Pearson tears through the up-tempo piece with the fleetest of fingers. And there are some surprises squirreled away throughout. Hutcherson’s “Step Lightly” finds Pearson slyly quoting “I’m Beginning to See the Light.” Perhaps in retaliation, guitarist Grant Green finds a moment in “Bedouin” to quote, of all things, “And the Angels Sing.”

Mosaic’s Hutcherson collection gives us eleven of the albums he recorded as leader for Blue Note, which is a significant designation. Hutcherson was in the studio as a sideman at least as often during these years, and in fact had recorded with Jackie McLean and Eric Dolphy before waxing “The Kicker,” his first Blue Note album, in 1963.

Nearly a year and a half later, he recorded “Dialogue,” and what a difference! He’s still not the dominant figure on this album, not with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard blowing alongside, although when he finally enters to solo on the opening track, an Andrew Hill-penned mambo titled “Catta,” it’s an angular contrast to the mood set by Hubbard at the beginning.

Sam Rivers’s flute adds an impressionist feel to the three-quarter-time “Idle While,” and there’s an up-tempo bonus, “Jasper,” which didn’t make it onto the original LP.

It was the middle of 1965 when Hutcherson returned to the studio for “Components,” this time with Herbie Hancock on piano setting what I can only think of as a more horizontal groove for the session. “Little B’s Poem” (honoring Hutcherson’s then-three-year-old son) is a highlight, giving James Spaulding a nice flute feature in this easygoing three-quarter-time romp. Joe Chambers’s “Movement” is a fascinating free-jazz harbinger, its seemingly episodic nature propelled by the subtle drive of the rhythm section. More structured is “Juba Dance,” allowing Freddie Hubbard to show a (comparatively) tender side, without giving up the oddball riffs the rest of the ensemble also enjoyed.

Hutcherson pared his group to four players for “Happenings,” wherein we meet a leader who is even more self-assured and adventurous. The eight-minute ballad “Bouquet,” inspired, said Hutcherson, by the music of Satie, pairs him with Hancock in a flowing 6/8-time meditation the possibilities of long melodic lines. Contrast that with Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage,” where a medium-tempo framework is more thickly filled with thoughtful exploration.

A pattern emerges. There will be a ballad, and something with a Latin beat. A lengthy free-form exploration, a waltz. Sequenced, of course, to catch the ear at the beginning of each new cut. On “Stick-Up!” (1966), Ornette Coleman’s “Una Muy Bonita” gets a Latin beat as Joe Henderson returns to partner nicely with Hutcherson, although the recording has some distractingly distinct stereo separation. McCoy Tyner is the pianist, proving himself another great Hutcherson partner, and especially fine on “Black Circle,” the trickiest number on the album and also a showcase for drummer Billy Higgins. Tyner and Hutcherson would record together frequently, which is good, but, except for this album, under Tyner’s name.

“Verse” takes us into waltz-time medium-tempo land, but that tradition gets confounded on Hutcherson’s next record, “Oblique,” where his “My Joy” starts out sounding waltz-y but soon goes up-tempo and betrays its 12/8 time signature with some four-to-the-beat moments. “Oblique” remained unreleased for many years, victim of the sale at the time of the Blue Note label. Herbie Hancock and Joe Chambers are back, and Chambers would stay at the drum kit for the remainder of the albums in the set except for the last. And Hancock’s “Theme from ‘Blow Up’,” included here, is a hypnotic eight-minute exploration of the music he wrote for the Antonioni film.

Although 1968 began with a session featuring James Spaulding on alto sax and flute, the remainder of Hutcherson’s leader sessions celebrated his long, fruitful collaboration with tenor saxist Harold Land. Chick Corea takes the piano chair on the album “Total Eclipse,” and his song “Matrix” gets its second recording here, a terrific vehicle for all concerned, but especially for Land. No personnel changes once Stanley Cowell takes over piano for Hutcherson’s next two albums, “Spiral” and “Medina.” Reggie Johnson remains on bass, and there’s a clear affinity among the members of this quintet. Again you’ll find a mix of rhythms, modes, and tempos.

Which brings us to “San Francisco,” the final element of this set. We’ve traveled to 1970. It’s Hutcherson’s first as-leader recording made on the west coast – thus its title. Hutcherson and Land have a new rhythm section in pianist Joe Sample and bassist John Williams, both of whom bring electric versions of their instruments to the session, as well as drummer Mickey Roker. “Prints Tie” is a seven-minute journey over a swaying 7/4 figure in the bass, with Hutcherson and Land (on tenor) weaving through a succession of unexpected, compelling figurations. And to keep things even more interesting, Land sneaks in an oboe solo on “Procession,” a sound that seems to come from nowhere.

“Ummh” sends us into the swirl of funk, especially with the call-and-response between John Williams on electric bass and Joe Sample on electric keyboard. Hutcherson takes a solo here that’s free-flying but harmonically very grounded, which is a defining characteristic of his playing. He always knows where he’s going, which gives him the freedom to take such innovative paths.

A west-coast resident by this time, Hutcherson enjoyed enough success with this album to be able to build a house on a piece of land outside of San Francisco. He would record a few more albums for Blue Note, then wander among other labels as mainstream interests shifted direction. But he continued to perform and record with no lessening of skill until he died in 2016, a victim of heavy smoking. The beginnings of Hutcherson’s legacy are here as he swiftly evolved into a towering artist who deserves all the exposure he can get.

Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970
Mosaic Records MD7-278

– The Syncopated Times, August 2024