Gregory Hutchinson's Kind of Now

Kind of Now – The Pulse of Miles Davis is Gregory Hutchinson’s bold, soulful reimagining of the rhythmic legacy behind Miles Davis. Rather than revisiting the past, Hutchinson and his all-star ensemble — Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Ron Blake (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet), Jakob Bro (guitar), Emmanuel Michael (guitar), Gerald Clayton (piano) and Joe Sanders (double bass) — channel the spirit of innovation and dialogue that defined Miles’ greatest bands. The project moves fluidly between swing, groove, and abstraction — a deep, modern conversation built on the pulse that Miles’ drummers once drove. With its lush harmonies, fearless improvisation, and Hutchinson’s signature rhythmic clarity, Kind of Now feels at once timeless and alive — a living heartbeat of jazz that connects the then and the now. Kind of Now – The Pulse of Miles Davis was released on April 3, 2026.

Jazz Magazine describes him as “the drummer of his generation” and indeed, Gregory Hutchinson is one of the most highly respected musicians of our time. His mastery of timing and expression of rhythms is at the core of his personal style. He is a musician’s drummer, soundly rooted in the jazz tradition he is able to approach all styles of music with supreme accuracy and imagination, decorating compositions with his natural feel and mind-blowing innovation.

The Brooklyn native began to nurture his passion for playing at the very young age of three. He recalls his first drum set lasting a total of five minutes: “I proceeded to put the sticks through the drumhead and not on top of it. I didn’t know about Ted Reed stick control,” he muses, “and now fast forward many years, here I am.” His dedication to the instrument was apparent in junior high school and his instructors took notice. At the young age of 12, he would arrive at school an hour early each day and stay behind for an hour afterwards. He was encouraged to audition for two music high schools and describes his not being accepted as “the best thing that could have happened to me.” It encouraged him to spend the next four years practicing and also led him to Justin DiCioccio who became his mentor. DiCioccio’s former students had been Omar Hakim, Kenny Washington, Marcus Miller, and Steve Jordan. By accepting an apprenticeship under him, Greg had not only entered a lineage of supreme musical talent, but he had acquired a teacher who was serious in helping him become a professional musician.

His professional career began right out of high school, when he was introduced to Red Rodney after playing in a big band for a year. He quickly became known as a young phenom in the jazz community sharing the stage with the likes of not only Rodney, but also Betty Carter and Ray Brown while still in his early twenties. He is one of the few musicians today who had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the great originators of jazz music.

Since then, he has worked with a virtual who’s who of the jazz world including Dianne Reeves, Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Roy Hargrove, Charles Lloyd, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, and Maria Schneider as well as many others. His time signatures and beat compositions have won him praise from the hip hop community as well leading him to work with powerhouses Common and Super producer Kareem Riggins.

His experience and technique make him one of the most exciting musicians to watch and hear. He has the creative power to not only nurture but challenge the very art of drumming. Dianne Reeves describes him as “pure genius.” Gary Giddins described his drum work as “elegant” and more “like dancing.” Joshua Redman describes him as “inspired.” To Hutch’s credit his goal is to play the drums like Charlie Parker played the horn, “I want to sing on the drums the way he sang on the horn.” If history is any indication, Hutch will indeed continue to be a formidable presence in the musical community.