Bobby Hutcherson - Four Seasons (Timeless, 1983)

This post is by Dan

Bobby Hutcherson (vib); George Cables (p); Herbie Lewis (b); Philly Joe Jones (d)

Recorded December 11, 1983

As a young jazz fan, I became intrigued by the sound of the vibraphone, which seemed to imbue almost any ensemble with an exotic voice. Vibes were key to the wonderful moods conjured up by Henry Mancini in his Peter Gunn albums of the 1950s. In the 1960s, Bobby Hutcherson came on the scene with stunning contributions to Blue Note's string of avant garde recordings by Jackie McLean, Grachan Moncur, III, Andrew Hill, and Hutcherson himself. Beyond sheer sound, vibes also serve as a clarion lead voice.

All of the songs on Four Seasons are familiar vehicles for jazz groups, so there is risk of the session becoming dull and predictable. For example, all three tunes on Side 2 of the LP ("If I Were a Bell," "Summertime," and "Autumn Leaves") were staples of Miles Davis for many years. "Star Eyes" and "All of Me" offer no compositional surprises. So why would this album be a favorite album of an entire decade?

The answer is in the solos by Hutcherson and George Cables. They both play some of the most swinging, lyrical and creative solos anyone could expect. There is little pretense on display: no radical experimental techniques, no "free jazz" or collective improvisation. The only wrinkles in the arrangements are minor: the coda on "Star Eyes" and the odd introduction to "Autumn Leaves." Neither detract from the mission at hand. I can't think of many other albums with such a high level of quality by two players on every song.  

Completing the group, Philly Joe Jones manages to stay in his lane and seems more musical to me that he did 25 years earlier. Herbie Lewis also plays a great supportive role.

The Dutch Timeless label used the same recording studio (Monster) and sound engineer (Max Bolleman) as the Criss Cross label did during this period. I think it's one of the best sounding records of the decade, especially since recording vibes and piano at the same time can be tricky. 

For this selection, I recommend the vinyl over the CD. I've owned both. Music this fantastic deserves the highest quality medium.