Bobby Hutcherson - Medina (Blue Note Tone Poet Series, LP Vinyl)

The late-1960s and early-1970s were a wildly creative period for Bobby Hutcherson with the vibraphonist freely exploring a wide range of stylistic possibilities from post-bop and the avant-garde to fusion and Latin Jazz. The cutting-edge 1969 session Medina—which wouldn't be first released until 1980 as part of the LT Series—documented one of Hutcherson's most remarkable band line-ups featuring two of his frequent collaborators—Harold Land on tenor saxophone and flute and Joe Chambers on drums—along with Stanley Cowell on piano and Reggie Johnson on bass. The set presented a pair of original compositions each by Hutcherson, Cowell, and Chambers that explored a variety of moods from the churning rhythms of "Avis" and "Medina" to the more atmospheric realms of "Comes Spring" and "Orientale." This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Series edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.

Side One: Avis Comes Spring Dave's Chant Orientale Side Two: Medina Ungano