Bobby Hutcherson's second quartet session,
Oblique, shares both pianist
Herbie Hancock and drummer
Joe Chambers with his first,
Happenings (bassist
Albert Stinson is a newcomer). However, the approach is somewhat different this time around. For starters, there's less emphasis on
Hutcherson originals; he contributes only three of the six pieces, with one from
Hancock and two from the typically free-thinking
Chambers. And compared to the relatively simple compositions and reflective soloing on
Happenings,
Oblique is often more complex in its
post-bop style and more emotionally direct (despite what the title may suggest). The latter is especially true on the two opening
Hutcherson pieces, the sweetly lilting
"'Til Then" and the innocent, childlike theme of
"My Joy," which is reminiscent of
"Little B's Poem" (save for its multi-sectioned structure). Meanwhile,
Chambers' experiments with counterpoint in the context of group
improvisation keep getting more evocative. The title cut is quick and driving, with lots of short, fleeting exchanges between
Hutcherson and a surprisingly swinging
Hancock;
"Bi-Sectional" makes playful use of chromaticism in its first part, after which
Hutcherson and
Chambers switch between several different percussion instruments for what amounts to an artillery attack. As for the other pieces,
Hutcherson's
"Subtle Neptune" fuses
post-bop with
Brazilian rhythms, and
Hancock's
"Theme From 'Blow Up'" is a spare modal melody over a repeated chordal vamp, somewhat reminiscent of his classic
"Maiden Voyage." All the performances are spirited enough to make the sophisticated music sound winning and accessible as well, which means that
Oblique is one of the better entries in
Hutcherson's
Blue Note discography and one worth tracking down. ~ Steve Huey
