Vibraphonist and composer Bobby Hutcherson is one of my favorite jazz artists of the 1960s. His music had a fresh, swinging modal sound that stood out—especially with his cool, cerebral approach to the instrument and how he liked to let the vibes ring in spaces before continuing.
But Hutcherson was sold short. He arrived at Blue Note just as the label's revenue was beginning to be squeezed by the advent of pop rock and soul. That's the only way to rationalize why Alfred Lion held up so many of his spectacular leadership recordings, preferring to use him instead as a sideman.
Of the 12 albums on Mosaic's new box set, Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions, 1963-1970, five weren't released immediately. Instead, they were shelved for what surely were business reasons.
Thanks to the late Michael Cuscuna, who unearthed one hidden treasure after the next during his period with Blue Note (from 1975 to 1981, and intermittently into the 1980s and '90s), producing reissues and previously unreleased material.
If not for Michael, we'd never have complete discographies available of great Blue Note jazz artists. Gathering dust were Hutcherson albums such as The Kicker (released by Michael in 1999) Oblique (1990), Patterns (1980), Spiral (1979) and Medina (1980). The first, with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, was and still is superb.
Born in Los Angeles in 1941, Hutcherson was part of a new generation of jazz vibes players succeeding pioneers Red Norvo, Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson. The new breed of post-bop players included Gary Burton, who led the way, Hutcherson, Dave Pike and Roy Ayers.
Struck at age 12 by Jackson's recordings, he began his career in the late 1950s when he played with tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy and trumpeter Carmell Jones, as well as with Eric Dolphy (his sister's boyfriend) and tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd.
His first Blue Note album, recorded in April 1963, was as a sideman on Jackie McLean's One Step Beyond. His first leadership date followed months later on The Kicker, a thoroughly engaging album.
Hutcherson is on Grant Green's seminal LP Idle Moments (1963), and Hutcherson's composition Little B's Poem, on his Components LP (1965), is perhaps his most famous piece. He also was a sideman on Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch (1964), Andrew Hill's Andrew!!! (1964), Green's Street of Dreams (1964), Dexter Gordon's Gettin' Around (1965, and dig Le Coffieur), Joe Henderson's Mode for Joe (1966), Lee Morgan's The Procrastinator (1967), Harold Land's The Peacemaker (1967) and so many others.
Among his finest albums in this collection are The Kicker, Oblique and his masterpiece, Total Eclipse, with Harold Land. San Francisco also teamed him with Land. But each record has elements that are gripping and enveloping, for different reasons. All carry the sound of jazz in the 1960s.
The seven-CD box comes with extensive and informative liner notes by Bob Blumenthal, and the recordings were mastered by Andreas Meyer and Nancy Conforti of Swan Studios from high-resolution files of the original analog masters via 24-bit technology.
The only two albums in Hutcherson's discography from this period that aren't included here are Blow Up, a live 1969 LP recorded for the Jazz Music Yesterday label, and Now! (1970), the first by Hutcherson to feature vocals, contributed by Gene McDaniels and a chorus. Both would have been out of place on this set.
It's great to hear Hutcherson's albums during this fruitful seven years, one after the next with superior sound. You can really hear his vibes ring.
Bobby Hutcherson died in 2016 at age 75.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions, 1963-1970 (Mosaic) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Step Lightly from The Kicker (1963), with Joe Henderson (ts), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Duke Pearson (p), Grant Green (g), Bob Cranshaw (b) and Al Harewood (d)...
Here's Little B's Poem from Components (1965), with James Spaulding (fl), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Herbie Hancock (p) Ron Carter (b) and Joe Chambers (d)...
Here's Head Start from Happenings (1966), with Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Herbie Hancock (p), Bob Cranshaw (b) and Joe Chambers (d)...
And here's Pompeian from Total Eclipse (1968), with Harold Land (fl), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Chick Corea (p), Reggie Johnson (b) and Joe Chambers (d)...
Bonus: Here's Hutcherson performing Herzog, from Total Eclipse, at Juan les Pins, France, in July 1969, with Harold Land (ts), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Stanley Cowell (p), Reggie Johnson (b) and Joe Chambers (d)...