Search - Bobby Hutcherson :: Wise One

OUTSTANDING JAZZ FROM HUTCHERSON AND HIS GROUP

Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 11/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One disc 54 minutes in length approximately. The sound is very crisp and clean,with each instrument having its own distinct space in the mix. This was recorded and mixed,live,to two track in February 2009. The disc is in a standard jewel case,which is slipped into a cardboard case. There are no notes whatsoever,except recording info/ personnel,and song titles/times. There are several posed color portraits of Bobby Hutcherson with his mallets throughout the booklet.



This is some good,fresh music from the great Bobby Hutcherson and his group--which consists of Hutcherson-vibes,Anthony Wilson-guitar,Joe Gilman-piano,Glenn Richman-bass,and the great Eddie Marshall-drums. On this album Hutcherson has taken a number (five of nine tracks) of compositions by John Coltrane as inspiration for interpretation by his wonderful group. There is one composition by McCoy Tyner ("Aisha") and the rest are jazz standards that have been played by many jazz artists. Hutcherson has wisely chosen some of Coltrane's relatively lesser known compositions ("Wise One","Like Sonny","Dear Lord",),and combined these with "Equinox" and "Spiritual",which are fairly well known in jazz circles.



This quintet plays a very mature,straight forward style of jazz,which combines a bit of Hutcherson's Blue Note Records era sound,and a more post-modern sound found in contemporary jazz. Throughout the playing is very understated yet compelling,with no grandstand playing by anyone. The sound of the group is simply gorgeous,yet it has a distinct feel,a reverence for the music they are playing. This is evident from the opening bars of the first track,and continues on through the first four tracks. By then we have heard three compositions by Coltrane and one by Tyner.



On the track "All Or Nothing At All",the group shifts subtly from a reverence for both Coltrane and Tyner,into a bit more of a relaxed,swinging feel. On "Nancy With The Laughing Face",the group switches into ballad mode,which gives this composition the feel it deserves. This track is very pretty,with the entire group playing very tastefully,which gives this album added dimension and depth.



Coming hard on the heels of such a wonderful ballad,Coltrane's "Spiritual",is the perfect track to follow,with its slow,rhythmic pulse played with maximum feeling and restraint. The mood lightens considerably,with Arlen-Mercer's "Out Of This World",taken at a medium tempo,showing just how versatile this group is. The final track,"Dear Lord",is played very subtly by the entire group,with everyone meshing together perfectly on this beautiful composition.



This should please listeners who like well played jazz by a group of jazz veterans. This style of jazz has fallen out of favor a bit in recent times,which is to bad,so it was recorded (in the U.S.) for a small label in Italy. However,that doesn't matter,for this is jazz played on a very high level,both in skill and feeling-both of which only come with experience and reverence for the music. This is one of the finest jazz releases of its kind this year. One listen will tell you all you need to know."

Bobby's best!

R. Bader | San Francisco | 01/27/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I buy a new CD, I sometimes listen often at first, but in this case I have had to hear it daily for the last 2 weeks! Of course being a huge Coltrane fan helps as these tracks are either penned by JC or were among some of his faves. This collection could have been called "the gentle side of Coltrane, as interpreted by Hutcherson". Bobby's playing has never been better. The arrangements are close to perfection and the entire recording flows beautifully. A must have!"