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Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard would have turned 82 today. In his honor, here’s a countdown of 15 favorite performances, including studio & live recordings. His best work was mostly in the 1960s (no arguments, please), but I reserved slots 15-11 for the '70s & ‘80s.
Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard would have turned 82 today. In his honor, here’s a countdown of 15 favorite performances, including studio & live recordings. His best work was mostly in the 1960s (no arguments, please), but I reserved slots 15-11 for the '70s & ‘80s.
15 “Straight Life” (live in Paris, 1973). Hello! Maybe Freddie’s best working band: Cook/Cables/Brinkley/Carvin. Freddie plays a short solo, a warm-up, but it’s stronger than most cats at full force. Some trademark lip slurs in the blowing over the coda.
14 "Happy Times" ("Griffith Park Collection 2: In Concert") 1982. Joe/Chick/Stanley/Lenny. Way upstairs. Freddie’s tune is better at medium tempo, but nobody is a more charismatic show-off than King Frederick. His articulation is as fierce as a machine gun
13 “You Don’t Know What Love Is" (“Outpost”) 1981. Barron/Williams/Foster. One of Freddie’s finest post-'60s LPs. The key to later Freddie is whether he’s focused & whether his taste antennae are engaged. This is a lovely, strikingly restrained reading.
12 “Joy Spring” (live, c. 1988). Freddie & the High Gs – Galper, Gilmore, Goodwin (Phil Wood’s rhythm section). Eight swaggering chorus on Brownie’s trumpet anthem. Definitely throwing some attitude here. Don't fuck with Freddie.
11 “Theme for Kareem” (“Super Blue”) 1978. JoeHen/Laws Barron/Carter/DeJohnette.. After wandering in the fusion forest, this LP (plus VSOP) reminded folks Freddie could still PLAY. He's all business here. Great Freddie original too, named for Abdul-Jabbar
10 “You’re My Everything” (“Hub-Tones”) 1962. Freddie in the '60s! His melodic lines are so pure, fresh, his rhythms buoyant, dancing. No grandstanding. Dig the warm vibrato on his C-sharp in bar 23 of the melody. Herbie plays his ass off -- comping & solo
9 “Skylark” (Blakey’s “Caravan”) 1962. Gorgeous ballad second only to “Blue Moon” (see below) in the Hubbard canon. Heaven seems to open to make way for his soaring high F on the final bridge, and his breathless phrase that follows is to die for.
8 "Pensativa" (Blakey’s "Free For All"). 1964. Freddie’s classic arrangement of Clare Fischer’s great song w/Bu's unique Latin-shuffle beat. Freddie’s stamina astounds. A chop-busting melody yet he still solos first. Greatest small-group lead trumpet ever
7 “Dolphin Dance” (Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage”) 1965. Some of Freddie’s finest work as a sideman was in support of Herbie Hancock. The trumpet solo here is a beaut -- so expressive. He takes his time, uses space, seduces the harmony with creative flourishes
6 “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum" (Shorter’s "Speak No Evil") 1964. Freddie says it all in 24 bars. What stands out is the variety of phrasing, the rhythmic creativity, the intervallic rhymes & leaps (5ths in bars 2/3, 4ths in 17/18) & cocky blues allusions on the bridge
5 “Jodo” (“Night of the Cookers Vol. 2”) 1965. Some of Freddie’s wildest improvising on tape. A simple modal frame & chorus after chorus of inspired power-trumpet playing. The band picks up a LOT of tempo but who gives a shit? Live, burning, awe-inspiring
4 "One Finger Snap" (Hancock’s "Empyrean Isles") 1964. Herbie/Ron/Tony. After Herbie's written intro, bars 5-20 are so melodic that most folks assumed they were Herbie's tune. Nope. That’s Freddie's improv. Then come serious fireworks in an iconic solo
3 "Blue Moon" (Blakey’s "Three Blind Mice") 1962. Profound balance of emotional lyricism & technical virtuosity, from the tender caresses he brings to the written tune to a dazzling flow of improvised double-time melody & a sassy coda. Play yo' instrument!
2 "Birdlike" ("Ready for Freddie") 1961. Wayne/McCoy/Elvin! Perhaps Freddie's greatest LP & most-transcribed solo: 19 heroic chorus on an F blues. Brisk tempo. No b.s. Slippery, chorus-long snakes & daring leaps. Love the bitonal A major in 11th chorus
1 "D Minor Mint" ("Breaking Point") 1964. As good as it gets. Incredible power, chops, flexibility, keen intellect, melodic grace, harmonic ingenuity, rhythmic drive, thrilling expression, risk, fiery articulation, sass & pure joy of Freddie being Freddie
