Chico Freeman - Destiny's Dance

Comments:

Japan Pressing.

1982 Contemporary post-bop classic — Chico Freeman’s “Destiny’s Dance” with Wynton Marsalis & Bobby Hutcherson.

Recorded at Ocean Way, Hollywood on Oct 29–30, 1981 and released by Contemporary (C-14008), “Destiny’s Dance” captures Chico Freeman at a peak with a heavyweight sextet: Wynton Marsalis (tp) on four tracks, Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Cecil McBee (b), Ronnie Burrage (ds), Dennis Moorman (p), and Paulinho Da Costa (perc). The program balances modern originals with deep catalog connections: Hutcherson contributes “Same Shame,” McBee’s “Wilpan’s Walk” stretches into a nine-minute narrative, and the title track is a succinct statement piece that became a calling card for Freeman’s early-’80s sound. Tonally it sits in the post-bop lane with modal edges—strong heads, open blowing sections, and crisp drum punctuation. Not an “audiophile demo,” but a beautifully focused Contemporary cut that collectors prize for the writing, the personnel, and the moment-in-time chemistry.