Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson was a defining feature of the sound of Blue Note Records throughout the 1960s, equally at home in hard bop, soul jazz, and avant-garde settings. His 1968 album Total Eclipse was the vibraphonist’s first recording to feature tenor saxophonist and flutist Harold Land who would go on to become a key collaborator in the years to follow. Hutcherson and Land had been co-leading a band on the West Coast and came to New York City for engagements at Slugs’ Saloon and the Village Vanguard before heading into Plaza Sound Studio to record the album.