March 2020 - Page 2 of 2 - JAZZ IMPRESSIONS

Nucleus – Torrid Zone

The year before The Ahmad Jamal Trio performed their composition ‘Bogota’ at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, a small group of British musicians by the name of Nucleus showcased compositions which pioneered a new sound, one that blended jazz with influences from rock and funk, now defined as ‘jazz-rock’ or ‘fusion’. This radical new approach to jazz saw the group win first prize at the festival and was responsible, along with a few other notable albums, in ushering jazz away from the modal and post-bop sounds of the 60s and into the psychedelic, funky fusion of the 70s.

The Ahmad Jamal Trio – Bogota

Immediately following The Awakening, the great Ahmad Jamal moves to Rhodes -as in the electric piano, not the place. The location is the Montreux Jazz Festival, and the 1972 release Outertimeinnerspace is another perfect album; arguably an easier achievement with only two tracks (further performances from this date appear on Freeflight, also on Impulse!), each comprising an entire side of the LP.

The Ahmad Jamal Trio – Dolphin Dance

Five years after Herbie Hancock set sail with his 1965 masterpiece Maiden Voyage, another great pianist released a masterpiece of his own. That pianist was the influential Ahmad Jamal and the album is The Awakening, released in 1970 on Impulse!, which contains a beautiful version of Hancock’s track ‘Dolphin Dance’.

Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage

Bobby Hutcherson’s version of the oceanic classic ‘Maiden Voyage’ shore is beautiful, but for me the original is unassailable. Concept albums are generally associated with rock music, but Herbie Hancock was one step ahead of The Beatles. Empyrean Isles (1964) is loosely based around Ancient Greek mythology, and Maiden Voyage (1965) is an album about the sea. Bookended by pieces that would become standards, ‘Maiden Voyage’ and ‘Dolphin Dance’, the record even features sea-based poetry as its sleeve notes. You might call them liner notes.

Bobby Hutcherson – Maiden Voyage

In his last post, Dan focussed on the fantastic track ‘Ghetto Lights’ from Bobby Hutcherson’s debut album as leader on Blue Note. Today’s post is another offering from the master of vibes, this time from his third album Happenings (1966) which saw him taking more of a commercial approach in comparison to his previous two albums which were much freer and avant-garde.

Bobby Hutcherson – Ghetto Lights

You just heard Roy Ayers filtered through the psychedelic prism of Madlib, which brings us to the warm and wonderful world of the vibraphone. One of the great masters of the mallets was Bobby Hutcherson, whose sonic and rhythmic sensibilities helped usher in a new era for legendary jazz label Blue Note.