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Bobby Hutcherson (born January 27, 1941 in Los Angeles) is a jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His vibraphone playing is suggestive of the style of Milt Jackson in its free-flowing melodicism but his sense of harmony and group interaction is thoroughly modern. Hutcherson is the dominant influence on Stefon Harris, who some liken as the Hutcherson of his period.

Attracted foremost to more experimental free jazz and post-bop, Hutcherson made early recordings in this style for the Blue Note label with Jackie McLean, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, Joe Chambers, and Freddie Hubbard, both as a leader and a sideman. In spite of the numerous avant-garde recordings made during this period however, Hutcherson's first session for Blue Note, the Kicker (1963) (not released until 1999), demonstrates his background in hard bop and the blues, as well as the early session Idle Moments for Grant Green, for example. Many of his later recordings return to this hard bop and less adventurous, soulful sound.

The 1966 Blue Note session, Stick-Up, featuring saxophonist Joe Henderson is notable, being the first recorded session Hutcherson made with McCoy Tyner on piano, a lasting association that continues today.

"Little B's Poem" (from his album Components) is one of his best-known compositions.

• 1965 Dialogue
• 1965 Components
• 1966 Happenings
• 1966 Stick-Up!
• 1967 Oblique
• 1968 Patterns
• 1968 Total Eclipse
• 1968 Medina
• 1969 Now!
• 1970 San Francisco
• 1971 Deep Blue
• 1971 Head On
• 1972 Natural Illusions
• 1973 Cookin' with Blue Note at Montreux
• 1974 Cirrus
• 1974 Linger Lane
• 1975 Inner Glow
• 1975 Montara
• 1976 The View from the Inside
• 1976 Waiting
• 1977 Dance of the Sun
• 1977 Knucklebean
• 1978 Highway One
• 1979 Conception: The Gift of Love
• 1979 Un Poco Loco
• 1981 Solo/Quartet
• 1982 Farewell Keystone
• 1983 Four Seasons
• 1985 Color Schemes
• 1991 Mirage
• 1999 Skyline

• 1964 Out to Lunch - Eric Dolphy, Blue Note Records
• 2004 SFJazz Collective - Inaugural Season: Live 2004 - (with Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Miguel Zenón, Josh Roseman, Renee Rosnes, Robert Hurst, Brian Blade)
• 2005 SFJazz Collective - Live 2005 - (with Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Miguel Zenón, Isaac Smith, Renee Rosnes, Matt Penman, Eric Harland)
• 2006 SFJazz Collective - Live 2006 - (with Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Miguel Zenón, Andre Hayward, Renee Rosnes, Matt Penman, Eric Harland)

• complete discography, news and reviews

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