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| "There's a lot of those Blue Note albums, if you were to play them right now, they'd sound like there's no date on them…the sun doesn't get old… there is no date on the music because it's just as nature. There is no date on nature.” --Bobby Hutcherson Someone once said that if Bobby Hutcherson was a horn player, he’d be a household name. The fact is that Hutcherson was a jazz revolutionary who courageously pushed the vibraphone past convention and into uncharted territory. Originally inspired by vibes master Milt Jackson, Hutcherson dramatically expanded the instruments’ emotional vocabulary, playing in a way that has yet to be surpassed. In the 1960s he joined ranks with the most cutting-edge musicians, playing and recording with Andrew Hill, Grachan Moncour III, Jackie McLean, Tony Williams, and, crucially, Eric Dolphy. His brilliant playing on Dolphy’s Out To Lunch made a big impression on his peers. He not only became one of the most in-demand vibes players of the era, but also began recording a long series of albums as a leader for Blue Note (1965-1977). In 1967, Hutcherson did what few jazz musicians ever have the guts to do…he left the paying-gig promised land of New York City and returned to the West Coast of his childhood. He sacrificed the security of New York in order to co-lead a new quintet in California with tenor-saxophonist Harold Land, a partnership that lasted only four years (1967-1971), but yielded some timeless music. Unfortunately, the Hutcherson-Land quintet had the bad luck of being on the scene at a time when jazz was rapidly losing ground to rock and roll. Sales were in a slump and jazz venues were closing down all over the country. While it was a struggle for many jazz musicians, a lot of ground-breaking art did come out of those tough times. Things were changing fast, both in the music and the world around it. When Hutcherson entered the studio on July 15, 1970 to record San Francisco, his writing and playing were already beginning to reflect his times, shifting away from the avant-garde towards a more accessible sound. He was responding to the changes around him, in music and in style, in the man on the street. The album cover of San Francisco features Hutcherson and Land standing face-to-face and locked in an intimate stare, both dressed in full funk regalia, advertising both the tightness and funkiness of the music inside. A strong opening is the hallmark of a great album, and San Francisco’s opener, “Goin’ Down South,” sets the stage with an exhilarating burst of advanced jazz-funk. I first heard this track after an epic two-hour hike in the sun-drenched Santa Monica Mountains, and it really hit me. Mickey Roker’s drums throbbed so hard that I couldn’t resist, and the music took over. It made me forget about my poor tired feet and filled me with its good feeling. Inspiring solo after solo, modal melodies, fatback bass, funky rock-flavored rhythms, the spirit of John Coltrane, all these things are found in abundance on San Francisco. Like so much great music, this album was conceived in the 60s, but born in the 70s. This is hands down my absolute favorite Bobby Hutcherson album, and I own and love quite a few of his classics. San Francisco is the place to start for those interested in hearing one of the most influential vibes players to ever wield a mallet. --John Ballon (email)
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