Medina was another
Bobby Hutcherson/
Harold Land Quintet session that didn't see the light of day until over a decade later (recorded in 1969, issued in 1980). Again, it's hard to see why, given the high quality of both the group and their music, which seemed to get lost in the shuffle of jazz's late-'60s upheaval. Granted, it may have been a shade less distinctive than
Hutcherson's earliest sessions, but the levels of composition and execution remained top-notch. Drummer
Joe Chambers, pianist
Stanley Cowell, and
Hutcherson each contribute two numbers apiece, and each is advanced and has at least something of its own flavor -- the
Erik Satie influence on
Hutcherson's gentle
"Comes Spring," for example, or the meditative Eastern feel of
Cowell's flute-centered
"Orientale." Chambers and bassist
Reggie Johnson turn in some of their finest work with the
Hutcherson-
Land unit, as many of the pieces incorporate stuttering, rapidly shifting rhythms and frequent time-signature changes. Soulful yet firmly modern, this group was solid from top to bottom, and
Medina is yet another fine piece of supporting evidence. ~ Steve Huey
