Farewell to Freddie Hubbard (1938 - 2008)

My first post of 2009, and it is a tribute to one of the truly greatest trumpeter of the history of Jazz. Freddie Hubbard died on December 28, 2008. He was 70. R.I.P

The sound of Freddie Hubbard cannot be categorized into one segment, from hard-bop with Art Blakey and The Jazz messengers (replacing Lee Morgan), his Blue Note recordings, post-bop including Eric Dolphy's "Out to Lunch", Herbie Hancock's "maiden Voyage", to avant-garde recordings with John Coltrane's "Ascension" and "Afrca Brass", and Ornette Coleman's "Free jazz. Later, he moved on to record for CTI, and recorded more pop-Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Soul-Jazz oriented materials. Still, his sound was always energetic, overwhelming, and illuminating, so powerful that his playing will be forever ranked his as the top trumpet playter, along with Gizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown.

My personal and memorable encounter with one of Freddie Hubbard's record was "Red Clay" I found in London. It was a year 2000, and I was still young and just a guy who was trying to find the records so cool and hip that no one really has. I went to "Release the Groove" on Denman St., and was at the first floor talking to the store clerk about the sounds that I was looking for. And he put out this old record. When I heard the first trumpet sound on intro, I thought this is something different, different means good different. The drums and bass began. And by the time horns sounds came in, I was so hooked, with whole groove, melody, rhythm section, and the horn solo! I talked for like an hour about the album, Jazz-funk records, and CTI records at the store that day. One of the best record buying day of my life. Freddie Hubbard will always and definitely be one of my favorite players, no matter what style of Jazz he played, and his records will remain among my top disc in my vault. R.I.P. H.B. We remember.

Freddie Hubbard "Red Clay", CTI Records, 1970
Personnel:
Trumpet: Freddie Hubbard
Tenor Sax: Joe Henderson
E. Piano: Herbie Hancock
Bass: Ron Carter
Drumbs: Lenny White

Side A:
1. Red Clay
2. Delphia

Side B:
3. Suite Sioux
4. The Intrepid Fox