Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bobby Hutcherson: Now!

334

Bobby Hutcherson: Now!

By

View read count
Bobby Hutcherson: Now!
Few records capture and transcend their moment in time as definitively as Now!. Recorded in 1969, the disc emotionally echoes sentiments central to the black power movement of the day. The music is strong, passionate, sensitive, optimistic, and—like the struggle it heralded—timeless. The premier vibraphonist/composer of his generation, Bobby Hutcherson had already expanded the modern jazz vocabulary with his quintet of tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Stanley Cowell (or Kenny Barron), bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Joe Chambers. On Now! the group, augmented by guitarist Wally Richardson, conguero Candido Camero, three female voices, and lead vocalist/lyricist Gene MacDaniels, creates a work with a popular sound and a powerful message.

The leader's opening "Slow Change is a clarion call for justice, with McDaniel's commanding voice soaring above the ensemble and Hutcherson and Land ringing out inspiring solos over the electrified rhythm section. Richardson's classical guitar and Candido's congas contribute a light delicate air to Joe Chambers' beautiful "Hello To The Wind. McDaniel begins his hopeful lyrics with the clear intonation of the lead on a Broadway stage and then improvises uninhibitedly, sounding at the times like a Moslem muezzin. Hutcherson's title track is a touching tone poem, a moving lament dedicated to the late bassist Albert Stinson. "The Creators, by Herbie Lewis, is a strangely ethereal piece, with a spacey Richardson guitar background grounded by Candido's insistent conga rhythm, over which the voices chant repetitively while Cowell, Hutcherson, and Land solo with reserved abandon. Land and McDaniel's "Black Heroes is a topical protest song lauding the race's champions of equality with the popular "Freedom Now message developed over rhythm changes.

The second part of the CD includes, as an important addendum, the live 1978 performance of "Slow Change, "Now, and "Hello To The Wind masterfully arranged by Dale Oehler for a concert by Hutcherson's group with saxophonist Manny Boyd, pianist George Cables, bassist James Leary, drummer Eddie Marshall, and percussionist Bobby Porter Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Calvin Simmons. Originally released on the overlooked LP Blue Note Meets the L.A. Philharmonic, the melodies maintain the strength and sensitivity of the original recordings, while taking on a new character that clearly confirms the importance of Hutcherson and Chambers as modern composers. The music may well be the best amalgamation of the jazz and classical idioms ever recorded.

Track Listing

1. Slow Change; 2. Hello to the Wind; 3. Now; 4. The Creators; 5. Black Heroes; 6. Slow Change; 7. Now; 8. Hello to the Wind; 9. Now (reprise).

Personnel

Bobby Hutcherson
vibraphone

Tracks 1 -5: Bobby Hutcherson: Vibraphone; Harold Land: Tenor Sax; Kenny Barron: Piano; Stanley Cowell: Piano; Herbie Lewis: Bass; Joe Chambers: Drums: Wally Richardson: Guitar, Electric Guitar; Candido Camero: Conga; Gene McDaniels: Vocals; Hilda Harris: Vocals; Albertine Robinson: Vocals; Christine Spencer: Vocals. Tracks 6 -9: Bobby Hutcherson: Vibraphone Manny Boyd: tenor and soprano saxophone; George Cables: piano; James Leary: bass; Eddie Marshall: drums; Bobbye Porter Hall: percussion; Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Calvin Simmons.

Album information

Title: Now! | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.