James "Hutch" Hutchinson
American bassist. Born January 24, 1953 in Lynn, Massachusetts.
Hutchinson moved to the San Francisco Bay area after high school where he played in jam bands and Latin bands. During this time he met John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service and Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart. He worked on sessions of all types at Mickey's Ranch and played gigs around the Bay Area while living in Mill Valley. In the early 1970s, he played with John Cipollina in the band Copperhead, and recorded one self-titled Copperhead album for Columbia Records in 1973. Later, he played in Link Wray's band with Copperhead drummer David Weber, and performed with both Wray and Cipollina.
Following that, Hutchinson spent 18 months in Latin America, working in the studio in a number of countries with a number of different Latin artists. He and Bay Area violinist Sid Page formed a Latin jazz fusion group named The Point. They recorded in Guatemala and El Salvador with local musicians, and eventually brought the band to Austin, Texas. In 1977 they won top Jazz Group at the Austin Music Awards.
From Austin, Hutchinson went to New Orleans to play in The Neville Brothers band. He worked with them on and off for five or so years while also working with other New Orleans musicians including Jesse Hill, Huey Smith, Earl King, The Lastie Brothers, James Black, Professor Longhair, The Wild Tchoupitoulas and James Booker.
In mid-1983, Hutchinson moved to Los Angeles, and soon after joined Bonnie Raitt's band.
As a studio musician, Hutchinson has also worked with Al Green, Alejandro Escovedo, Anne Murray, The B-52's, B.B. King, Bob Seger, Boz Scaggs, Brian Wilson, Bryan Adams, Charles Brown, The Chieftains, Colin James, Crosby Stills & Nash, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, David Crosby, Delbert McClinton, The Doobie Brothers, Elton John, Etta James, Garth Brooks, Hank Williams Jr., Ivan Neville, Jackson Browne, Jann Arden, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joe Cocker, Kathy Mattea, Keb' Mo', Lyle Lovett, Maria Muldaur, Merle Haggard, Ozzy Osbourne, Pattie LaBelle, Pops Staples, The Proclaimers, Randy Newman, Ringo Starr, Ritchie Sambora, Roy Orbison, Ruth Brown, Ryan Adams, Stevie Nicks, Taj Mahal, Tanya Tucker, Toots Hibbert, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley, and many other artists, as well as on numerous film and television projects.