Bobby Hutcherson’s ‘Components’ was recorded on 14th June 1965 and features a sextet. The rhythm section comprises Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Joe Chambers (drums). The front-line features trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and James Spaulding on alto saxophone and flute. The aptly titled ‘Components’ starts the album in a feisty mode. The piece combines several styles from Hard Bop to post-Bop with a touch of the avant-garde thrown in too. There is stunning serenity to the mellow ‘Tranquillity’. Hubbard, Hutcherson and Hancock capture its spirit in a breathtakingly beautiful manner. The album’s outstanding moment is the waltz ‘Little B’s Poem ‘, this beautiful track (now a Jazz standard) is dedicated to Hutcherson three-year old son. Hutcherson leads off followed by some lovely flute work from James Spaulding. The slightly left field ‘West 22nd Street Theme’ is however grounded in the Blues. It has a quirky, slurring melody almost the feel of a drunkard. Hutcherson composed all four tracks that constitute the first side of the vinyl. Drummer Joe Chambers composed all four that make up the second side. ‘Movement’ is a challenging composition that embraces Free Jazz; it is a challenge repeated on the more rhythmic ‘Juba Dance’ that has some intriguing inter-actions between the musicians. Carter on bass hold it together. ‘Air’ is anything but light and is perhaps the less coherent of the Chambers’ pieces. A two-minute finale, ‘Pastoral’ has an ephemeral quality that acts as a respite to the three ‘out there’ tracks that proceed it.
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