Introducing Kind of Now new soon from Gregory Hutchinson

Woke up this morning, switched on some music prioritising jazz as ever and knew I had to write something about Kind of Now that’s new on Warner Music from Gregory Hutchinson in April.

The main purpose of this piece is to let the music do the talking and share ‘Orbits.’

Job done. But read on.

Subtitled “The Pulse of Miles Davis,” you’ll never hear, for instance, the great Ambrose Akinmusire, in the Milesian role – if you must – sound so different. Clue: one/ he doesn’t sound like his own records; and two/ he doesn’t sound like Miles. But it’s a beautiful sound however you choose to frame it.

The timing is propitious – Miles was born 100 years ago this coming May. Cue, a flood of celebrations. I see for instance that the top French festival Jazz à Vienne is Miles themed this year – the programme has just been announced; and Jez Nelson and Chris Philips’ OneJazz web station is streaming 100 years of Miles Davis in 48 hours over 23 and 24 May a few days ahead of the centenary on the 26th.

This all-new all-star tribute to Miles and his music is led by drummer Gregory Hutchinson who in recent years has impressed greatly on Soweto Kinch’s albums like the 5-star satire White Juju with the London Symphony Orchestra. (The only time I can recall seeing Hutch live was with Tom Farmer of Empirical renown and Jo Caleb accompanying the fine Aussie singer Sarah McKenzie at the Pizza in Soho back in 2021.)

Kind of Now tunes chosen roam from the bebop of the 1950s to the jazz-rock of the 1970s. Hutch contributes 3 of his own pieces. Guitarist Emmanuel Michael from South Dakota is also on the recording as too is fellow instrumentalist the brilliant Dane Jakob Bro known for his work with Tomasz Stańko (1942-2018) on the Miles influenced trumpeter’s sublime 2009 work Dark Eyes. Read a 2018 interview with the charming Jakob, here.)

The Kind of Now group also has saxophonist Ron Blake who hails from the US Virgin Islands and who played with Hutch on Roy Hargrove classic album of the 1990s With The Tenors of our Time. The pianist involved is Gerald Clayton – go find his amazing Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard issued in 2020 – and bassist Joe Sanders.

Check out ‘Orbits’ from Kind of Now, which is streaming – top.