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While it has always been common for jazz musicians to interpret pop, the quartet doing so here is in a sense an unusual line-up. Hank Mobley contributes his beautiful sound on the tenor saxophone, Larry Young handles the (Hammond B-3 electric) organ, and Elvin Jones, who had achieved fame backing John Coltrane, is the outstanding drummer on this session.

If Young had been the leader, this would have been a fairly common organ-led quartet, but with a guitarist in the lead it almost becomes unique.

The difference lies chiefly in the subdued sound of the organ and the obviously stellar role of the guitar. This doesn’t mean that Young is a mere accompanist. In fact, Green, Mobley and Young regularly take turns to step into the spotlight for solo improvisations. For instance, on the medium-paced “Stella by Starlight”, Young and Green take turns to play the theme, after which Mobley, Green and Young improvise solos. Jones then raises the profile of his drum kit before Mobley and Green see the piece out with a series of exchanges.

On the fastish-paced “Speak Low”, which actually starts with a solo by Jones, Green renders the theme with strong support from Jones. There follows a series of terrific solos by Mobley, Green, Jones and, after he reprises the theme, Green again.

Green’s leadership is signalled in two ways. One, most often it is he who plays the theme.

Two, he gets to take at least one solo on every track. But excellent performances by all four musicians, each in the spotlight in his turn, show that Green is only, so to speak, a first among equals.

Together and in solos, this quartet offers a menu of beautiful music.

Hutcherson is an almost exact contemporary of Herbie Hancock, who shot to fame a few years earlier and is featured on piano on this 1966 album. The idea presumably was that Hancock’s name, and indeed his music, would give Hutcherson a leg-up. Keeping them company are the equally youthful Bob Cranshaw on bass and Joe Chambers on drums.

Despite Hancock’s leg-up to him, the album is meant to showcase Hutcherson’s talents both as a performer and as a composer. Apart from Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage”, the other six pieces were written by Hutcherson. Highlighting him as a performer on a uniquely melodious instrument, most of the tracks have him playing the theme, sometimes after an intro by him or Hancock. They then take turns to improvise solos, sometimes more than one each and almost invariably meaty.

On “The Omen”, the theme is a dramatic two-note phrase by Hancock, which introduces a drum solo, a piano solo and a marimba solo in turn before some exchanges between drums and marimba.

Chambers also solos on the fast-paced “Aquarian Moon”, while Cranshaw gets an opportunity to do so on the brisk Latin-tinged “Rojo”. Both of them are quite accomplished even when in the background.

Hutcherson and Hancock of course turn in virtuoso performances. Among some fast or brisk-paced tracks, “Maiden Voyage”, in medium tempo, stands out for its haunting theme, and for its intro and finale played by Hancock.

Altogether a very satisfying package of music.

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