Drummer Gregory Hutchinson is one of the most highly regarded musicians of his generation. Hailed for his work performing and recording with countless jazz greats and the vanguard of hip-hop, R&B, and Neo-soul, the 53-year-old is now making the bold decision to reinvent himself. Spurred on by a cataclysmic divorce, Hutchinson emerges triumphantly as a bravely emotive and fearlessly innovative songwriter with his first-ever solo album, Da Bang (Warner Music), out September 29th.
“Challenging things in life motivate you to be better and try new things,” the native Brooklynite, now based in Rome, Italy, explains. “I found myself going to the park at 6:00 in the morning, writing in my journal, and those words became song lyrics.” He continues, “Making music is supposed to be telling your life story, and this is my story without boundaries.”
Hutchinson’s 15-track debut album mines deeply into personal revelations and his experience and virtuosity in jazz, but artistically it ventures beyond the expected. With unique collaborations and genre-defying creativity, Da Bang adventurously explores elements of hip-hop, funk, R&B, and Neo-soul.
Jazz Magazine has praised Hutchinson as “the drummer of his generation.” This is apt acclaim indeed, as Hutchinson has worked with jazz musicians from almost every era, including Betty Carter, Red Rodney, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves, Lou Donaldson, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Diana Krall, and Harry Connick Jr., to name a few. Yet, his restless creativity, innovative playing, and open-mindedness have earned him plaudits from the hip-hop, Neo-soul, and R&B communities as well. This innovative mindset has led to collaboration with Ledisi, Common, producer and drummer Karriem Riggins (Kanye West, J Dilla, Paul McCartney), and James Poysner, among others.
“When you look back, you realize all music is connected. No matter what color, genre, gender, and sexual orientation, we share a space and a time,” Hutchinson says. “But let’s not be confused—each music does have a vocabulary, and as long as you respect that and do it authentically, you see none of the genres are that far apart.”
Hutchinson’s relevance across generations and genres is a direct result of his upbringing. He grew up immersed in cross-cultural dialogues. His Trinidadian household was within earshot of the explosive sounds of classic hip-hop that filled the streets of NYC in the late 1970s and 1980s. His late mother loved old soul and R&B records, and his drummer father played in reggae and calypso bands.
It was only natural that Hutchinson would become a drummer. However, his ascent to becoming a well-respected professional musician wasn’t linear. Not getting into LaGuardia High School, the “Fame performing arts school,” was a formative moment for the promising musician. He woodshedded hard, and the same person who passed on him for LaGuardia would eventually become his champion and mentor when he was accepted to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.
Hutchinson would go on to study with the greats—and become one of those greats himself—appearing on over 160 recordings. Once he was in the jazz firmament, however, Hutchinson began to experience epiphanies while performing outside of the jazz establishment. “I would go on tour with Common and see how my bass drum could move 7,000 people. There was this energy exchange, and it was powerful. I wanted to bring that back to jazz,” Hutchinson says.
Hutchinson indeed brings that energy to Da Bang.
