NOW, A JAZZ MOMENT...

MUSIC:

The Kicker
CD: The Kicker
Blue Note 7243 5 21437 2 6

NEA JAZZ MASTER BOBBY HUTCHERSON CHOSE HIS UNWEILDY INSTRUMENT ? THE VIBRAPHONE -- AFTER HEARING A RECORDING OF THE GREAT MILT JACKSON. HUTCHERSON RECALLS A PERFORMANCE WITH JACKSON YEARS LATER, AFTER THE TWO BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS.

Bobby Hutcherson: One time we were doin a thing together on a boat. And a storm came up. And they forgot to lock the wheels on the vibraphone. So there's two vibraphones there. And the place was just filled! And just as we hit the first note, the boat hit a wave. And when it did like that, both vibraphones rolled away. And everybody started laughin. And Milt, who was very fast at things, Milt turned to me and said, "Don't worry, Hutch. They're gonna roll back when the wave hits." He says, "So just stand here, they're gonna come back!" (laughs) And, sure enough, the boat said (makes noise) like this and here come the 2 vibraphones getting ready to roll back. And Milt yells at me and says, "Get ready, here they come!" (laughs) And so I said, "OK." And as they came past, they came past too fast for me. And Milt yells out, "Strike ONE!" (belly laughing) And the people just was dyin laughin!

MUSIC:up and fades

THIS JAZZ MOMENT WITH VIBRAPHONIST BOBBY HUTCHERSON WAS CREATED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.