To look at the early efforts of Bobby Hutcherson, one should note that many of his early dates as a side man were probably perceived as a bit left of center for the time. Maybe not Big John Patton, but Hutcherson accompanying the likes of Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill and Grachan Moncur III all point to an untraditional point of view in regards to jazz. And while the vibraphone isn't generally thought of as an avant garde instrument, it was able to lend more than some eerie accompaniment on many of those dates - I'm thinking specifically about Out to Lunch, though.

Somewhere amidst all of these side gigs that Hutcherson was pulling off, he began recording as a leader at the half way mark of the '60s. A lot of his work at the time, as a leader, wasn't too far removed from some traditional notion of jazz. Of course, it was infrequent to have the vibes be a lead voice, but apart from that it was pretty staid by comparison. Even towards the end of the decade when Hutcherson hooked up with sax player Harold Land, the results couldn't be considered anything beyond the norm - it was all good, bop inspired music, but nothing surprising.

The duo would record a number of sets together and do pretty well in a live setting with Land contributing a number of original songs alongside that of Hutcherson, who always functioned as date leader simply due to the renown he'd come to through the decade. As time wore on Land remained an indispensible part of Hutcherson's groups. And in 1971, the two were featured together on the cover of San Francisco.

Reflexive, the disc would seem to contradict itself from track to track - although a generally laid back funk drive works throughout the entirety of this affair. The lead off track, a Joe Sample original, was acoustic soul jazz that hinted at the fact that jazz bands had become more and more likely to accept the electrification of the medium. But even in that, the music was still relatively tied to a concept of bop from an earlier period - not Charlie Parker per se, but blues based most assuredly.

It's not until Sample picks up the electric guitar on a Hutcherson tune entitled "Ummh," which he would reprise a few years later, that the disc aptly mirrors the more forward thinking players in jazz at the time. Harold Land on this track as well, perhaps spurred on by the more propulsive backing, spits out a funky lick as the band is locked down onto some hard groove. There's almost no room for Hutcherson to regain control of the song and when he takes a second solo, it seems more than reserved in comparison to Land's workout.

In contrast to the more commercialized and almost pop oriented fare that Hutcherson would come to later in the '70s, San Francisco finds a good balance between soul jazz, bop and the burgeoning funk scene. Hunt it down.