3) Bobby Hutcherson Dialogue (1965)
This debut has the distinction of being linked to another jazz great's swan song. A year earlier, Bobby Hutcherson contributed his vibraphone to Eric Dolphy's famous whack jazz masterpiece Out To Lunch. During his time with Dolphy, Hutcherson learned from his mentor to approach music with an open mind and not let conventions restrict his ability to express himself musically. He applied these principles the first chance he got to record as a leader. Dialogue was impressive first statement, especially coming from an instrument not previously associated with such progressive sounding jazz. If this had come from a saxophonist, it might have been put in the same company as some of Coltrane's groundbreaking sixties albums. Hutcherson didn't write any music for his debut; he left that chore in the very capable hands of Andrew Hill and Joe Chambers. Nevertheless, he changed people's perception of the vibraphone and proved to be an improviser and leader of the highest order. And he proved it the first time out.
4) David Holland Conference Of The Birds (1973)
Another Davis sideman, except that British double-bassist Dave Holland waited until after his stint with the master before recording as a leader. What he began his career with as a leader had a lot more in common with Ornette than Miles, however, as Conference Of The Birds is very harmolodically inclined. Holland dispensed with chordal instruments and made his two star sax players Anthony Braxton and Sam Rivers play with, around, and against each other, which they do so brilliantly on "Four Winds." Holland's astonishing finger speed is on display in the unhinged "Interception." And there in the center of the proceedings is the lovely, waltzing (but not a waltz) title song, providing an oasis of tranquility amidst the controlled chaos of the rest of the album. Conference Of The Birds gave the fledgling ECM label a lot of credibility among fans of challenging, unconventional jazz. It also helped to establish Holland as one of the most creative acoustic bass players to lead a band, a distinction he enjoys to this day.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice picks pico. yea, everybody has wanted to give Wynton the "what for" (maybe if he didn't hang around with stanley croush so much, people would cut him more slack) but he sure did breath some life into the more tradition parts of the genre back then .
and oh man, Conference of the Birds is just killer!
still can't believe Joe Henderson is gone.
2 - Allen Michie
I think you could also add Michael Brecker's debut solo recording, "Michael Brecker." A perfect album in every way. The band was the best of its generation: Pat Metheny, Don Grolnick, Jack DeJohnette, and Charlie Haden. Of course it's no more a "debut" album than Herbie Hancock's, since the leader was already an accomplished and well-known musician from having played on countless other records. But this debut immediately put Brecker into the role of leader, and it made us realize how much he had been one all along.
3 - Allen Michie
Two other quick notes:
Don't forget Ornette Coleman's amazing debut which put Western Civilization on notice: "The Music of Ornette Coleman--Something Else!!!"
Also, Wynton's debut album would be on my top five list as well. It can stand on its own merits, but all of the people who make great claims for it rescuing and reviving mainstream jazz in the early 80s must have never heard a Woody Shaw record.
Wynton took private lessons from Shaw back then, and there are entire solos from Wynton's early work that are almost completely lifted from Shaw. Columbia Records scandalously dropped Shaw as Wynton rose from his ashes, a factor in Shaw's clinical depression and eventual suicide.
4 - Michael J. West
Delightful to see Dave Holland get some props. Absolutely delightful.
I hereby advance Cecil Taylor's Jazz Advance for consideration as well. One rarely hears such challenging music on a debut record, regardless of the era.
5 - Michael J. West
Allen #3:
I am probably Blogcritics's Number One Ornette Coleman fan and one of his greatest cheerleaders anywhere...but I gotta admit I'm not impressed with Something Else!!!. The piano is just a bad fit for his sound and he ends up restrained because of it.
6 - Pico
Thanks for the replies, everyone, I enjoy these kinds of discussions.
Mark: Sounds like you're a big Dave fan like me. I'll have more on him later this month.
Allen #2: I gave serious thought to Brecker's first, especially since he's been foremost on everyone's mind right now. Those first two tunes are absolutely killer. So much so that the rest of the album comes as a bit of a letdown to me. But I don't begrudge anyone else for putting this forward.
Allen #3: I gotta agree with M West, Ornette's first was more of a dress rehearsal to me. That piano had to go, and he quickly realized it.
Great call on Wynton sounding like Woody Shaw, I could never understand why everyone said he sounded like Miles back then. But are you sure Shaw committed suicide? All the accounts I read had him stepping out in front of that subway train by accident; his eyesight was notoriously bad.
Michael J. West: Cecil's Jazz Advance...I love that choice! His early music doesn't get a lot of notice, but I found it to be just as interesting as the stuff that made him famous.