RIP Freddie Hubbard

What a great trumpet player, what a loss for the jazz world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Hubbard

“Red Clay” was always one of my favorites, but there were so many great ones that he played on!

Here is a better article regarding Hubbard and his contribution to the jazz world link.

Add to this list of loss:

Michael Brecker

Dennis Irwin

Good-bye…

Great trumpeter - I have not invested as much time in his stuff as other horn players, notably Miles, Dizzy, Clifford Brown and the like. If you had to pick a top 3 of his recorded material what would you recommend?

Sorry for the long delay in responding. I would recommend Hubtones, First Light and Red Clay.

I’m not sure that I would say those are the top 3, but I do think they are great albums. He recorded a lot, so it is hard to decide.

Hello Wordman: I must add that often his sideman recordings captivated me more then his own albums. Two great examples are: Ornette Coleman’s “Free Jazz” and Eric Dolphy’s “Out to Lunch

Perhaps you should check these out first, before the ones previously mentioned…

Dude, thanks for the recommendations! But…Coleman and Dolphy?? That is pretty far out there - if jazz gets much further out past Giant Steps, I can’t engage…

Then try Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage, or the Herbie Hancock VSOP recordings. Hubbard did beautiful, committed, sincere work that fit in with what everyone around him was doing. He had the ears to play whatever the Muse whispered to him…

Ah - there you go. More my speed - thanks Le Ministre

I totally agree, both great recordings!

And yes, I guess the Coleman and Dolphy are both pretty out there. The Dolphy recording is more accessible then the Coleman. That being said, it’s interesting to hear a relatively straight ahead player like Hubbard deal in a free setting.

For you, perhaps :wink:

The wiki discography is actually quite fascinating reading. I had forgotten about Blues and the Abstract Truth, which is a must listen.

It’s one of the things I admire most about him - the fact that no matter what the setting, his talent shone through. Free jazz, hard bop, fusion, Billy Joel - he had a contribution to make that was tasteful, idiosyncratic and indispensable. Most musicians feel lucky if they master one style - Freddie Hubbard takes ‘versatile’ to a whole new page in the dictionary.

I’d urge you to give the Dolpy recordings a try - it isn’t free jazz, there’s a real structure to the compositions. Even if nothing else, listen to Something Sweet, Something Tender from Out to Lunch. There’s a unison line in the middle for the Bass Clarinet and arco Bass that’s just fantastic.