Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100903 in Digital Music Album
• Published on: 2005-08-16
• Released on: 2005-08-02
• Running time: 2462 seconds

Customer Reviews

An Essential and Intriguing Blue Note Treasure
This remarkable 1967 recording, previously only available as a Japanese import, can be seen as a follow-up to the brilliant quartet setting of Hutcherson's "Happenings," with the virtuosic and tragically short-lived Albert Stinson replacing Bob Cranshaw on bass. Of particular strength is the cut "My Joy," which begins by pairing a delicate, haunting melody in triple meter against drummer Joe Chambers' backbeat of "four," then suddenly morphs into something dissonant, fast-paced and furious. Fans of Herbie Hancock will appreciate the inclusion of his catchy and propulsive "Theme from Blow Up," evocative of "Maiden Voyage," and will enjoy his lyrical soloing on the Hutcherson-penned bossa "Til Then," bringing to mind his sublime "Speak Like a Child." This is an album of profound depth and beauty.

Nothing Oblique About "Oblique"
Bobby Hutcherson's "Dialogue" is an undisputed modern jazz masterpiece, but in the last twenty years, the average fan would have been hard pressed to locate a second Blue Note album by the vibraphonist. Yes, many of his albums have been available as limited edition titles in the Connoisseur Series, or briefly at the dawn of the CD era before drifting out-of-print. But only with the recent reissue of "Oblique" in the RVG Edition Series (with different cover art than the original CD I might add), has another Hutch disc finally received a permanent place in the EMI catalog. This July 21, 1967 session features three Hutcherson originals, Herbie Hancock's "Theme from Blow Up" -- the album's catchiest tune -- and two compositions by Joe Chambers, the title track and "Bi-Sectional." Chambers' writing talents have always amazed me for both their creativity and complexity (from a drummer, who knew?), and his contributions here are the album's best. However, Hutch's numbers have grown in stature as well from the days of "Components" and "Happenings" (he penned nothing on "Dialogue"), particularly on the opener "Til Then." Of final interest to jazz aficionados is the presence of Albert Stinson, a bass virtuoso who died of a drug overdose in 1969 and left us precious few recordings. A delightful disc, there is nothing oblique about "Oblique."

Oblique
Bobby Hutcherson is one of the most exciting and influential vibraphonists in jazz. He's also a brilliant composer. This album wasn't released in 1967 when it was recorded which is hard to believe because it is right up there with the other ground breaking albums being put out by Andrew Hill, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, etc.

Hutcherson can really open up your ears to what the vibes can do. Being schooled in the Milt Jackson tradition, one wouldn't even imagine the vibraphone in this setting, and no one did it like Bobby. When the rhythm section is getting heavier and more aggressive and Bobby plays his single note rolls the energy is really high. And of course, he can also bring out the beauty of the vibes for example, in the opening track, Til Then.

This album, which usually gets compared to Happenings because of the instrumentation and personel, is perhaps superior. Bobby, like Joe Henderson, had no trouble going in and out of various "styles" and "moods." The usual "free" piece, in this case Bi-Sectional and Oblique. And Bobby plays these tracks with perfect ease where the vibraphone's airy sound may get lost in this context. Not in this case. And Bobby's soulful feeling can be heard on Herbie Hancock's simple, but effective, Theme From Blow-Up.

This album is beautiful from start to finish. Bobby Hutcherson is a real musician. His genius can be heard on four decades worth of recordings, and Oblique should be right up there with the best of them.