Description
Bobby Hutcherson – Oblique – Tone Poet 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Bobby Hutcherson’s Oblique catches a remarkable quartet finding fresh possibilities in a small-group setting. Recorded in July 1967, the album pairs his vibraphone with Herbie Hancock’s piano, Albert Stinson’s bass and Joe Chambers’ drums. Those instruments give the music a distinctive balance: the ringing sustain of the vibes hangs above the rhythm section while Hancock supplies chords, counterlines and another sharply defined melodic voice. The six performances range from lively, accessible themes to more open-ended exchanges, making the record a rewarding introduction to Hutcherson’s exploratory side. It has the intimacy of four musicians listening closely and the variety of a session built around several different musical personalities.
The date belongs to a particularly fertile period in Hutcherson’s Blue Note career, although the recordings remained unreleased until a Japanese issue in 1979. That gap helps explain why Oblique can feel like a discovery even to listeners familiar with his better-known sixties albums. Hancock and Chambers had also appeared on Happenings, and their rapport carries over here, with Stinson bringing a different presence on bass. Hutcherson treats the vibraphone as an instrument capable of both rhythmic bite and floating color. His phrases can fall neatly into the pulse or seem to hover above it, allowing a melody to change character without the group having to change its basic instrumentation.
The opening side offers several ways into that sound. Hutcherson’s “’Til Then” and “My Joy” establish his melodic imagination, with themes that give the players something substantial to develop. Hancock’s “Theme From Blow-Up” brings a connection to his work for Michelangelo Antonioni’s film, placing a recognizable piece of his writing inside the quartet’s own atmosphere. Throughout these performances, piano and vibraphone create an especially appealing conversation. Their notes have different shapes and different lengths of decay, so even a brief exchange can produce a rich texture. Listeners who enjoy following the interaction behind a solo will find as much to hear in the accompaniment as in the leading line. The shared harmonic space gives the session a particularly open, conversational quality.
On the second side, Hutcherson’s “Subtle Neptune” leads into two Chambers compositions, “Oblique” and “Bi-Sectional.” Giving the drummer that much compositional space is an important part of the album’s identity. The music invites attention to structure, pauses and shifting emphasis as well as to a tune’s immediate hook. Chambers contributes ideas that the whole ensemble can work through, while the bass keeps a human, physical presence beneath the more suspended passages. These tracks reward an uninterrupted listen: moments that initially sound spare become more expressive as the relationships between the instruments emerge. The album’s adventurousness remains rooted in the sound of this particular group playing together.
This Blue Note Tone Poet edition presents Oblique as a single 180 gram LP in a gatefold jacket. Kevin Gray mastered the release from the original analog tapes, with pressing handled by RTI as part of the series produced by Joe Harley. The original six-track program is preserved across the two sides, giving the record a clear progression from its opening themes into the more searching material near the close. For a collection centered on post-bop, vibraphone jazz or Hancock’s work as a collaborator, it offers a compelling meeting point. Hutcherson remains the central voice, but the pleasure of the album comes from hearing all four musicians shape its direction.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Side A
’Til Then
My Joy
Theme From Blow-Up
Side B
Subtle Neptune
Oblique
Bi-Sectional
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