Bobby Hutcherson performs at Three Stages

None other than McCoy Tyner, a living legend in the history of jazz, refers to Bobby Hutcherson as “one of the best musicians in the world.” High praise, and well deserved. The famed vibraphonist brings his Bobby Hutcherson Quintet to Three Stages for a rare performance on Saturday, April 14. The performance is sponsored by Capital Public Radio.

Executive Director Dave Pier noted that “Bobby Hutcherson has set the standard for jazz vibraphone. Add that his quintet includes Sacramento’s own Joe Gilman — a national caliber pianist, to be sure — and I think local jazz aficionados are in for a special night.”

Bobby Hutcherson Quintet will perform in Three Stages on Saturday, April 14 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $19 to $29, with premium tickets available for $39. Student tickets are available to students with ID for $12.

Tickets are available online at threestages.net or from the Three Stages ticket office at 916-608-6888 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time.

Three Stages is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus, 10 College Parkway in Folsom.

Easily one of jazz’s greatest vibraphonists, Hutcherson epitomizes the modern jazz vibraphonist. He helped modernize his instrument by redefining what could be done with it — sonically, technically, melodically, and emotionally and in the process, became one of the defining voices of Blue Note’s glorious and classic 1960s roster.

During the 1960s Hutcherson released two masterful recordings for Blue Note Records “Stick Up!” and “Dialogue” that would define the vibraphone as a jazz instrument for decades to come. He also performed and recorded with some of the most important artists’ in jazz including Grant Green, Charles Lloyd, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Harold Lland, and McCoy Tyner — whom Hutcherson continues to record and tour with.

In 1986 he appeared in the motion picture “Round Midnight” alongside Dexter Gordon and Herbie Hancock.

Today Hutcherson tours a quartet consisting of some of the top sidemen in jazz music in addition to appearing as a special guest with renowned artists like Herbie Hancock, Joey DeFrancesco and McCoy Tyner. In January 2010 Hutcherson released “Wise One” on Kind of Blue Records to wide critical acclaim.

His quintet includes Joe Gilman, piano; Glenn Richman, bass; Eddie Marshall, drums; and Anthony Wilson, guitar. Dr. Joe Gilman is a full-time professor of music at American River College in Sacramento, and an adjunct professor of jazz studies at California State University, Sacramento.

Gilman was the music director of Capital Jazz Project from 1997 to 2011; Dave Brubeck describes him as “certainly one of the greatest pianists I’ve ever heard.”