Bobby Hutcherson (1941–2016) was a pioneering American jazz vibraphonist and marimbist, renowned for his innovative contributions to the post-bop and avant-garde jazz movements. Emerging in the 1960s, he collaborated with luminaries like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean, and his 1965 album "Dialogue" is celebrated as a modernist post-bop classic. Hutcherson's distinctive four-mallet technique and harmonic sophistication influenced generations of vibraphonists, including Steve Nelson and Stefon Harris. In 2010, he was honored as an NEA Jazz Master, the United States' highest jazz accolade. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Hutcherson?utm_source=openai))