Search - Bobby Hutcherson :: Al Grey & Dave Burns Sessions

Early Hutch, Not Too Much

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 07/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Those familiar with my jazz reviews on Amazon know that I have a thing for Bobby Hutcherson (check my Listmania on Hutch as a sideman). Those who also read my classical reviews know that one of the best places to pick up clearance discs online is the Berkshire Record Outlet. Well the other day, these two worlds collided when Berkshire had dozens of Spanish jazz label Lone Hill and Gambit discs, for incredibly cheap prices. Needless to say I picked up several titles including this one, Bobby Hutcherson's "Al Grey & Dave Burns Sessions."



Seemingly every Hutch Blue Note album mentions these 1962-63 dates, the vibraphonist's first recordings, but until now I had never heard them. This CD packs three albums (!) on to one 79 minute plus CD, so you certainly get a lot of early Hutch. The problem is quantity doesn't always mean quality. The CD begins with the second session chronologically -- November 2 & 5, 1962 with Burns on trumpet, Grey on trombone, Billy Mitchell on tenor sax, Earl Washington on piano, Herman Wright on bass, Otis "Candy" Finch on drums, Philip Thomas on conga, and of course Hutch on vibes. There are moments here that foreshadow the lyrically percussive, multi-layered soundwall that would come to signify Hutch's contributions on a variety of classic Blue Notes. Unfortunately, those moments are relatively brief, confined to the opening bars of the disc's best track "Stella by Starlight," and they are even more fleeting at the beginning of "Stardust." The rest of the first date is just a hard swinging affair, but clearly there is nothing of a landmark nature to report.



Tracks 8-12 comprise the first session -- a January 31, 1962 recording featuring Burns, Grey & Hutch again with Billy Mitchell and Herman Wright, and this time Floyd Morris on piano and Eddie Williams on drums. This date is basically a big band record for septet. The tunes are highly arranged and Hutch's solos are minimal, whereas he was the primary soloist on the disc's earlier tracks. Again we get a quick glimpse into the Hutch of the future on "Green Dolphin Street," the best track and Hutch's most meaningful contribution, but it's not enough to save the day. By this point I was hoping the third session (from January 29, 1963), would be a culmination of the band's progress and steal the show, but it's a complete bomb. Not only are the song choices poor -- popular R&B hits of the day including uninspired renditions of "Stand By Me" and "Something's Got a Hold on Me" -- but it seems Burns & Grey want to spotlight a new muse, guitarist Calvin Newborn, with basically the same band from the second session (pianist Hugh Lawson does replace Earl Washington however). Well Newborn did go on to have a decent career as well, but he's certainly no Hutch, and his solo on "Deep Fried" is neither deep nor fried, in fact it's rather predictable.



Unfortunately the 1st & 3rd albums are only worthy of 3 stars, but the 2nd album and the documentation of Hutch's first recordings make this a 4 star effort overall. And if you are fortunate enough to pay what I did from Berkshire for this CD, it will make purchasing it all the more worthwhile."