One of the most iconic jazz musicians in modern history has died.
Bobby Hutcherson, an accomplished and well celebrated jazz vibraphonist, passed away in his Montara, California home after succumbing to emphysema.
Hutcherson kickstarted his career in the early 1960’s after being drawn to music by early influencer Milt Jackson.
He moved to New York from his home state of California to find his sound —-becoming one of the first in a new wave of jazz musicians that stepped away from the then-dominant bebop.
Hutcherson released more than 40 albums in his lifetime and is best known for tune, “Little B’s Poem”, inspired by his son Barry.
The New York Times defines Hutcherson’s style and sound as “luminescent and coolly fluid,” — no doubt an attribution of his effortless improvisational skills.
Hutcherson’s fifty year history in music has left an indelible mark on jazz by redefining the possibilities of the vibraphone and creating a widely influential sound.
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