Bobby Hutcherson

Medina documents one of the strongest bands Bobby Hutcherson led in the late 1960s, a quintet with tenor saxophonist and flautist Harold Land. Recorded in the summer of 1969, it stayed in the vault for more than ten years. It first appeared in 1980 in Blue Note's LT series, which between 1979 and 1981 brought a run of unissued sessions to light. Richard Seidel wrote the liner notes for that first issue.

The date was August 11, 1969 at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, with Rudy Van Gelder engineering. Duke Pearson and Francis Wolff are credited as producers. Alongside Hutcherson's vibraphone and Land's horns are pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Reggie Johnson and drummer Joe Chambers. Land, Johnson and Chambers had already recorded with Hutcherson on Total Eclipse the year before. Hutcherson, Cowell and Chambers each contribute two compositions.

The music moves between churning rhythm and more atmospheric writing. Chambers' title piece, nearly eleven minutes long, opens side two. Its angular, Arabic-tinged melody is stated by vibes and tenor over shifting polyrhythms, and Land takes one of his most intense solos. Cowell's Orientale goes elsewhere, with Land on flute and Hutcherson's vibes drier and more reserved. Hutcherson's own pieces frame the first side, the churning Avis and the brief, atmospheric Comes Spring.

The late 1960s were a wildly creative period for Hutcherson, who moved freely between post-bop, the avant-garde, fusion and Latin jazz. Medina belongs to the same season as Total Eclipse and Now!, two other albums recorded with Land at his side.

This Blue Note Tone Poet edition in stereo was produced by Joe Harley. Kevin Gray mastered it at Cohearent Audio from the original analogue master tapes, and it is pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.