Bobby Hutcherson

Dexter Gordon's mid-'60s period living in Europe also meant coming back to the U.S. for the occasional recording session. His teaming with Bobby Hutcherson was intriguing in that the vibraphonist was marking his territory as a maverick and challenging improviser. Here the two principals prove compatible in that they have a shared sense of how to create sheer beauty in a post-bop world. Add the brilliant Barry Harris to this mix, and that world is fortunate enough to hear these grand masters at their creative peak, stoked by equally extraordinary sidemen like bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Billy Higgins, all on loan from Lee Morgan's hitmaking combo. The subtle manner in which Gordon plays melodies or caresses the most recognizable standard has always superseded his ability to ramble through rough-and-tumble bebop…

Hard, heavy, and funky jazz -- a wealth of great numbers pulled from the Blue Note catalog, plus a few tasty soul tunes thrown into the mix to liven things up! Many of these tunes will be familiar to experienced crate-diggers -- but that doesn't stop the set from being an excellent package of grooves overall, featuring some late 60s/early 70s jazz gems that are quickly dropping out of the reissue catalogs! Titles include "Groovin For Mr G" by Groove Holmes, "The Beat Goes On" by Buddy Rich, "Walking In My Sleep" by Monk Higgins, "Zulu" by Gene Harris, "It's Your Thing" by The Jazz Crusaders, "Wack Wack" by Buddy Rich, ""Walk Tall" by Howard Roberts, "Listen Here" by Gene Harris, "Ummh (edit)" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Move Your Hand" by Lonnie Smith, and "Back In Stride" by Maze. 13 tracks in all!

Dexter Gordon - The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions [6 CD Set] (1996) {Blue Note}
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© 1996 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 8 34200 2 5
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions is an attractive six-disc box set featuring all of Dexter Gordon's '60s recordings for the label in chronological order. Such classic albums as Dexter Calling and Go! were recorded during these years, and they are presented in their entirety, as are two complete sessions that have been previously unavailable on CD and several unreleased alternate takes. For serious Gordon fans and musicologists, it's an essential collection, but its very thoroughness makes it less appealing to casual fans, who would be better off acquiring the individual albums.

Barney Kessel - Feeling Free (1969) {Contemporary OJCCD-1043-2 rel 2000}
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© 1969, 2000 Contemporary Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1043-2
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Guitar

Guitarist Barney Kessel recorded regularly for the Contemporary label during 1953-1961, one gem after another. In 1969 he returned to Lester Koenig's label for this lone effort, a quartet set with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Chuck Domanico, and drummer Elvin Jones. The music is fairly free, particularly Kessel's four originals (which include "Blues, Up, Down & All Around" and "Two Note Samba"). Even Paul Simon's "The Sounds of Silence" and "This Guy's in Love With You" are turned into reasonably creative jazz by the all-star group. Although none of the musicians was associated exclusively with the avant-garde (Elvin Jones came the closest but never quite embraced free jazz), they show the influence of the explorations of the era, using aspects of the innovations as a logical way to stretch the jazz mainstream. Fascinating music.

Archie Shepp - On This Night (1965) {Impulse! GRD-125 rel 1993}
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© 1965, 1993 Impulse! / MCA / GRP | GRD-12
Jazz / Post Bop / Progressive Jazz / Saxophone

Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp's third release for the Impulse label collects valuable loose ends recorded between March and August 1965. Among the highlights are a passionate reading of Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" and the title piece, a moving tribute to W.E.B. DuBois, featuring the haunting soprano vocalist Christine Spencer employing a distinct 20th century classical influence, with Shepp on piano. Shepp is the solo horn on these dates, playing at peak form with contributions from vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson early in his career, David Izenzon or Henry Grimes on bass, and four rotating drummers, including Rashied Ali, J.C. Moses, Joe Chambers, and Ed Blackwell, playing a variety of percussion.

Anyone familiar with Andrew Hill's music will find the cover to Andrew!!! a little bizarre, to say the least. Hill was one of the most intense and cerebral musicians on Blue Note's roster, incorporating avant-garde and modal techniques into his adventurous post-bop. The cover to Andrew!!! apparently is an attempt to humanize Hill. ~ AllMusic

Guitarist Barney Kessel recorded regularly for the Contemporary label during 1953-1961, one gem after another. In 1969 he returned to Lester Koenig's label for this lone effort, a quartet set with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Chuck Domanico, and drummer Elvin Jones. The music is fairly free, particularly Kessel's four originals (which include "Blues, Up, Down & All Around" and "Two Note Samba" ). ~ AllMusic

In 1963 (probably July, though some sources place the dates in May or June), Eric Dolphy recorded some sessions in New York with producer Alan Douglas, the fruits of which were issued on small labels as the LPs Conversations and Iron Man. They've been reissued a number of times on various labels, occasionally compiled together, but never with quite the treatment they deserve (which is perhaps why they're not as celebrated as they should be). In whatever form, though, it's classic, essential Dolphy that stands as some of his finest work past Out to Lunch. ~ AllMusic

Kenny Barron - Other Places (1993) {Verve-Gitanes Jazz 519 699 - 2}
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© 1993 Verve / Phonogram/PolyGram / Gitanes Jazz | 519 699 - 2
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

In the 1990s, Kenny Barron was finally recognized as one of jazz's top pianists, recording a series of top-notch and consistently inventive releases. This CD has seven of Barron's originals in which he is teamed with Ralph Moore (tenor and soprano), vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Rufus Reid, drummer Victor Lewis, and sometimes percussionist Mino Cinelu. These fine performances help to define the modern mainstream of the period. In addition, there are a pair of standards ("For Heaven's Sake" and a lengthy version of "I Should Care") that are played as sensitive duets with Reid. Excellent and often exquisite music.

In the spring of 1963, in the last full year of his life, Eric Dolphy recorded nine tracks in New York with producer Alan Douglas. Working with an ensemble that was mixed and matched in different configurations and included Prince Lasha on flute, Clifford Jordan on soprano sax, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Huey Simmons on alto sax, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone (there was no pianist at the sessions), bassists Richard Davis and Eddie Kahn, and drummers J.C. Moses and Charles Moffett, Dolphy tracked material that clearly anticipated his landmark Out to Lunch album that appeared in 1964 while still providing a bridge to the more traditionally accessible work that preceded it. ~ AllMusic