R.I.P. Bobby Hutcherson: 1941-2016

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) We're deeply saddened by the passing of Bobby Hutcherson, the greatest vibraphonist in Blue Note history. Bobby passed away on Monday, August 15 at his home in Montara, California. He was 75 years old. Read The New York Times obituary.

From the first note Bobby played on a Blue Note session on April 30, 1963 as a sideman on Jackie McLean's album One Step Beyond his sound became integral to the label's postbop and avant-garde explorations throughout the 1960s and later the jazz-funk movement of the 1970s. Bobby recorded an astounding 24 Blue Note albums as a leader including Components, Happenings, Stick Up!, San Francisco, and Montara, and appeared on another 30 sessions as a sideman including classics such as Eric Dolphy Out to Lunch, Andrew Hill Judgment, Joe Henderson Mode for Joe, Grant Green Idle Moments, Dexter Gordon Gettin' Around, Lee Morgan The Procrastinator, and McCoy Tyner Time for Tyner. He also introduced indelible compositions into the jazz lexicon including "Little B's Poem."

We were proud to bring Bobby home to Blue Note for the Grammy-nominated 2014 album Enjoy the View with Joey DeFrancesco, David Sanborn & Billy Hart. Bobby elevated every musical setting he was a part of right up to the stunning duets he performed with McCoy Tyner at the Blue Note 75th anniversary concert at the Kennedy Center in 2014.
Spin our playlist "Intro to Bobby Hutcherson" and celebrate the eternal spirit of a modern jazz legend!