Hutcherson, Bobby: Dialogue (Blue Note Tone Poet) LP

The arresting 1965 session Dialogue was the debut album to be released by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson who had already proven himself a versatile sideman on classic Blue Note albums from Grant Green’s Idle Moments to Jackie McLean’s Destination Out to Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch. In fact, Blue Note boss Alfred Lion had brought Hutcherson into the studio as a leader for a 1963 session of straight-ahead hard bop that he opted not to put out at the time (it was eventually released in 1999 as the excellent album The Kicker). Dialogue on the other hand showcased Hutcherson’s more adventurous leanings with a state-of-the-art sextet featuring Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Rivers on tenor and soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute, Andrew Hill on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums. The set presented distinctive compositions by Hill and Chambers.