The tune

Little B's Poem is an instrumental composed by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, who is credited as its sole writer, with no lyricist. He wrote it for his son Barry, then about three years old. The original recording was made in June 1965 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with the vibraphone leading the performance. It was released in 1966 as track A3 of the Blue Note album Components, an album associated with modal jazz and post-bop. The tune is one of Hutcherson's best-known compositions. Later versions include vocal recordings by Dee Dee Bridgewater and Mario Biondi, and jazz recordings by George Cables, Kevin Hays, Joey DeFrancesco and Christian Sands.

What the song is about

The tune is a personal dedication. Hutcherson wrote the melody for his young son Barry, who was about three years old at the time. Hutcherson said that the melodic line reminds him of the way the boy used to play, so the piece draws its character from the child's own playing. Because the song is an instrumental with no credited lyricist, its meaning rests on this origin rather than on a text. The sources report no further story, subject or interpretation beyond this family connection.