The unwieldy title of
Brian Blade
's
Lifecycles, Vols. 1-2: Now! and Forever More Honoring Bobby Hutcherson
requires some unpacking.
Lifecycles
is a side project formed in 2001 by members of
Blade
the Fellowship Band
(pianist
Jon Cowherd
and saxophonist/flutist
Myron Walden
are the others) along with vibraphonist/vocalist
Monte Croft
, guitarist
John Hart
, and bassist
Doug Weiss
. Originally called Subterranean Sextet, they played clubs and occasional festivals, and percussionist
Rogerio Boccato
joined in 2018. This debut recording offers a complete re-creation of vibraphone poet
Bobby Hutcherson
Now!
from 1970, two tunes associated with him in
Grachan Moncur III
's "Love and Hate" from
Jackie McLean
Destination Out!
in 1964 and "My Joy" from the vibraphonist's
Oblique
, recorded in 1967 but unissued until 1979. Lastly, there are four originals composed by
' members.
was recorded in 1969 with producer
Duke Pearson
. Its music was inspired by the civil rights and Black self-determination movements, as well as new sounds in jazz, soul, and funk.
Hutcherson
's quintet -- saxophonist
Harold Land
, drummer
Joe Chambers
, bassist
Herbie Lewis
, and either
Kenny Barron
or
Stanley Cowell
on piano -- added conguero
Candido
, vocal soloists
Gene McDaniels
and mezzo soprano
Hilda Harris
, and a small female chorus for the sessions. Initially misunderstood,
is widely considered an iconic fusion of jazz with spiritual soul.
In addition to his talent as a drummer,
is a fine composer, arranger, and bandleader. His take on
subtly uncovers hidden rhythmic, harmonic, and textural details in the originals. Commencing with the title cut -- a tender, lilting balladic dialogue between vibes, piano, and flute --
's chart abandons the choir vocals and uses melody to highlight spaces between and around the band's interaction.
Weiss
' short, lyric bass solo is especially satisfying. "Slow Change," sung by
Croft
flanked by a male backing chorus (
and
Cowherd
), finds the band flirting with gospel as they create elasticity in tempo, tonality, and sonority.
Walden
's resonant saxophone solo dovetails into
Hart
's spiky guitar break as the rhythm section adds indelible swing.
's "Black Heroes" is a seamless hard bop gem that was wrongly considered an outlier originally but is, in actuality, a brilliant summation of the album's musical evolution. The gloriously knotty head delivered by
is framed in killer breaks and fills from
, who in turn sets up
's labyrinthine, hard-driving solo. "My Joy" commences as a lullaby waltz via flute and guitar. The vibes solo gradually alters the architecture as time signatures morph into more aggressive tempos, becoming a fleet, graceful, modal hard bop steamer. Of the band's originals, the sophisticated modern jazz groover "Future" and
's lyric, suite-like "Forgotten Memories" are clear standouts, rife with timbral and rhythmic invention. If all
accomplished was to cover
, the result would have been remarkable; these interpretations add depth and dimension and an open curiosity. By including catalog selections and their own tunes, they reveal the enormity of
's influence. ~ Thom Jurek