Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone; b. 1941) Stick Up! (Blue Note, 1966)
The vibraphone is a beautiful instrument that set the tone for many a jazz tune. There have only been a few musicians that have carved out their own identity on the vibes. Bobby Hutcherson is one of those few over the last five decades (along with Gary Burton) to change how the instrument is perceived. At times I feel as though Hutcherson has created a whole new instrument by the manner in which he performs. The model structure is completely original and challenges you to listen to every intricacy.
Bobby Hutcherson was born in California and originally studied to play piano but switched to vibes very early on. He was highly influenced by the great vibraphonist Milt Jackson but studied under another, Dave Pike. Bobby would later perform along side such greats as Curtis Amy, Al Grey and later with Jackie Mclean and Eric Dolphy in addition to a small number of albums as leader.
But it was after a move to New York that the jazz scene on both coasts would know of the kid with indescribable sound on the vibes. Hutcherson would soon runoff a string of important albums with Blue Note Records. The album that has always stood out for me is Stick Up! (Blue Note). Stick Up! features a quintet of future legends at the peak of their powers: Joe Henderson (sax), Billy Higgins (drums); Herbie Lewis (bass) and McCoy Tyner (piano). This is a sizzling session that you will want to spin again and again. Hutcherson is in fine form and rips through his interplay with the rest of the band with ease. The harmonics and layers of this album are absolutely stunning and that's why I think Stick Up! is a classic jazz album of note as well as being one of the best Blue Note Records ever recorded.
Herbie Hancock (piano; b. 1940) Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings (WEA)
Herbie Hancock has had an illustrious career. He is revered and honored inside and outside of jazz. Many of you may know him either from his seminal work with Miles Davis, the '80s pop/rock small futuristic hit single "Rock It", the awful '90s reinterpretation of "Cantaloupe Island" by British outfit US3 or more recently from the well received and well conceived River: The Joni Letters album from a year ago that won a Grammy of the Year.
Herbie Hancock has done so much work beyond these major accomplishments its almost impossible to name them all. But one era I feel that gets neglected is his semi-acoustic/fusion era just prior to forming his band The Headhunters and working towards the hit "Rock It". This includes two fantastic sessions done for Atlantic Records now called Mwandishi (Swahili for Herbie). Mwandishi is actually three albums (Fat Albert Rotunda, Mwandishi and Crossing) recorded between 1969 -1971. They have recently been repackaged as Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings (WEA) and are highly recommended.
Mwandishi was done shortly after Hancock's stint with Miles Davis. Hancock began experimenting with more Funk orientated rhythms before he created the group that would record his Columbia debut Sextant and the classic Headhunters ('72 and '73 respectfully). The Warner Brothers recordings were more of a spiritual journey for Hancock. The records explored more African/Eastern themes while incorporating some shades of funk through Buster Williams (acoustic/electric bass), Albert Heath (drums) and the infectious harmonics of Hancock (piano, electric piano).
Not well received at the time but as the years have gone on, these records along with the Columbia releases that would follow, were picked up by the Acid Jazz/Nu Soul scene in the UK during the 90s and has made allot of people go back and revisit these truly essential pieces of Herbie Hancock's history. Looking for those additional missing links after Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Brothers Recordings (WEA) is a good place to start. Tune In. Turn On. Have a funky good time.
The Intersection is a new feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that blend jazz with electronica (a tradition pioneered by none other than Miles Davis on such classic recordings as On the Corner).
This week's focus is Amon Tobin.
His name sounds like an Ancient Egyptian sorceror priest. It's a fitting name, albeit in no way obvious since Tobin is an Brazilian living in Britain. And it's just as well, because Tobin's sound is as mysterious as it is hypnotically intense. Since Bricolage, his '97 debut (not to mention his '96 album Adventures in Foam recorded under the moniker Cujo), Tobin has delivered compellingly original drum 'n' bass exotica and trip hop soundscapes that mine thunderous bebop drum breaks and spacious film noir moods.
Bricolage was a promising debut, but is the weakest of his albums in retrospect, because he was still leaning heavily on drum 'n' bass formula and hadn't yet developed strong compositional skills. Listening to it now, it seems that Tobin was fixated on drums and textures, and fans of frenzied bebop drum solos will recognize his inspirational sources (Art Blakey comes to mind, as does Gene Krupa). Some of the tracks hold little interest beyond the surface. Working with layers as well as textures is where Tobin really hits his groove. Examples of this on Bricolage include "Easy Muffin", "The New York Editor" and "The Nasty". By the end of the album -- "One Small Step" and "Mission" -- the drum breaks dominate the aural canvas with limited appeal. It's clear that Tobin is still just a journeyman and not a master on his first full length.
On his follow up, Permutations ('98) Tobin sounds more assured of his style. The drums are still strong, but more effectively used and his use of samples more astute. On "Bridge", the bluesy bebop line and winsome melody are given life by the rolling drum licks. On "Sordid" Tobin takes an exotica loop, sticks a blues vamp on it and then a motoric drum pattern, all to great effect. On "Nightlife" he creates a wholly exotic sonic world, complete with ethereal, half-speed piano, strings and choirs.
The third album, Supermodified, is Tobin's masterpiece. His use of jazzy drum samples and soundtrack moods is at full potency on the 2000 album. It starts strong and stays strong throughout, offering a hypnotic array of abstract downtempo and drum 'n' bass soundscapes. The opening track "Get Your Snack On" kicks in hard with electro blues. "Four Ton Mantis" offers gargatuan beats and predatory evil. It goes to dreamy downtempo on "Slowly", other worldly on "Marine Machines", abstract ambient on "Golfer vrs Boxer", exquisitely beguiling on "Deo", free jazzesque on "Precurser", intriguing on "Saboteur", reverb groovy on "Chocolate Lovely", hard driving on "Rhino Jockey", brilliantly cut 'n' paste on "Keepin'It Steel" and organically easy listening on "Natureland".
Tobin continues to polish his technique on 2002's Out from Out Where and adds some new tricks to his bag. It opens with "Back from Space," which carries a sample that sounds suspiciously like something from Tchiakovsky's "The Nutcracker." That's no surprise, given Tobin's love of orchestral flourishes. This is followed by the first single "Verbal," which sounds inspired by the work of glitch hop pioneer Prefuse 73. It's abstract hip hop vocal diced and spliced against a crackling beat. Tracks like "Chronic Tronic" and "Proper Hoodidge" display Tobin's talent for fierce bebop drum breaks and tense cinematic moods. Any second you half expect someone to yell: "Get down! It's gonna BLOW!!
Following the release of his live album for Ninja Tune's Solid Steel series, Tobin delivered Chaos Theory ('05), his soundtrack for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell video game. It's easy to imagine special ops maneuvers in rubble-littered, booby-trapped lairs while listening to Tobin's tense, percussion-riddled cinematica. What makes this album ostensibly different from Tobin's previous releases is the fact that he uses live musicians playing drums, percussion, flutes, bass, piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, guitar, Mellotron and strings to augment his unique electronic sounds. Despite the augmentation, no one will mistake Chaos Theory for anything but an Amon Tobin album. By turns austere and exotic, pensive and propulsive, tracks like "Ruthless," "El Cargo" and "Kokubo Sosho Stealth" convey the potentially explosive danger awaiting players around each digital corner. Tobin's command of mood on this outing is awe inspiring and his already impressive musical ideas benefit mightily from the use of live instruments. One can easily imagine a track like "Theme from Battery" being performed by some edgy chamber group like the Kronos Quartet. The use of strings on this album certainly help sell the notion.
Speaking of Kronos Quartet, Tobin collaborated with the group on one of the tracks for his sixth stunning studio album, The Foley Room ('07), which relies more on found sound than samples, but is still recognizable as a Tobin album (a Foley Room is the name for a sound effects recording studio in the movie business). If you needed proof that Tobin was more than a sample-happy drum 'n' bass trip hop dj, this album is it. It's indisputable proof of his incredible imagination and a compositional skill that is rare in the electronica world. Tracks like "Bloodstone" and "Horsefish" immerse the listener in a sonic world of wonder. Go there now.
Joshua Redman is the son of legendary jazz saxophonist, Dewey Redman. He is one of a select few artists of the last two decades that has consistently made strong and compelling records (14 in all). His albums are not experimental or even far reaching into the avant garde but he does lay out a steady presence with each release that does challenge your thinking. Those familiar with Sonny Rollins will see the similarities in Redman's approach.
He first gained prominence through collaborative work with guitarist Pat Matheny before branching off on his own. His first four albums (Joshua Redman, Wish, Moodswing and Spirit Of The Moment) took the jazz world by storm. People (including myself) were tripping over themselves to talk about how powerful and joyful his playing was and who went to the most live shows during that time period. Joshua Redman did deserve all the plaudits he received during the early '90s. This was the time period when jazz was having a massive resurgence through the Marsalis Family, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Russell Malone, Kenny Garrett, Benny Green, Harry Connick Jr. and more. But Joshua Redman's first few albums were probably only equaled in excitement by those from both Wynton and Branford Marsalis for sheer quality and musicianship.
Subsequent albums would grow with elegance and fluidity that would have made it extremely hard for you to believe that he could make bad record. Well, he hasn't. The next 11 albums all stand up well on repeated listens. It's very had to find one place to start if you haven't listened to Joshua Redman before. Which is actually a good thing. Take your pick. Most of the albums are still available at good record stores and online. The most recent, Compass (Nonesuch) is a real treat. Compass is a double trio session that sees Redman and his band in deep self reflective mode. The music breathes, but with a tension quality that underlies the passion of the performances.
All the material on Compass was written by Redman and members of the band. This is one my many favourites of Joshua Redman's in the last few years and will be one of my top albums of the year. Its definitely a good jumping on point if you aren't familiar with him. Once you've tried out Compass you might want to check out the live album Spirit Of The Moment (WB) which was recorded at the legendary Village Vanguard and is a smokin' double set worth your investment.
Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone; b. 1941)
