Freddie Hubbard - Live At The Northsea Jazz Festival, 1980

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1998
Time: 74:48
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 69,3 MB
Art: Front

(16:50) 1. First Light
(13:05) 2. One Of Another Kind
(10:34) 3. One Of A Kind
(11:57) 4. Impressions
(12:31) 5. Happiness Is Now
( 9:49) 6. Red Clay

Freddie Hubbard's output grew increasingly erratic after his departure from CTI Records in the mid-1970s, and you never knew whether he would come out with a gem like Super Blue or an embarrassing "smooth jazz" stinker like Windjammer. Originally a two-LP set and now a single CD, Live At The Northsea Jazz Festival, 1980 definitely falls into the "gem" category.

The trumpeter/flugelhornist is captured on stage at The Hague in Holland, where he leads a cohesive quintet that includes Davis Schnitter on tenor sax, Billy Childs on electric keyboards, Larry Klein on electric bass and Sinclair Lott on drums and where he truly soars on familiar originals like "Red Clay," "First Light" and "One Of Another Kind" as well as an explosive version of John Coltrane's "Impressions."

Much like his CTI work of the early-to-mid 1970s, this live date doesn't cater to small-minded "jazz purists." Though Hub doesn't take the fusion concept as far as Miles Davis, Return To Forever or Weather Report, this is clearly jazz with funk and rock elements.

Unfortunately, the memorable interpretation of "The Summer Knows" that graced the original double-LP was omitted due to time limitations. But even so, it's great to see this album reissued on CD. By AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-the-northsea-jazz-festival-1980-freddie-hubbard-fantasy-jazz-review-by-aaj-staff

Personnel: Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; David Schnitter: tenor saxophone, flute; Billy Childs: keyboards; Larry Klein: bass; Sinclair Lott: drums

Live At The Northsea Jazz Festival, 1980

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Freddie Hubbard - One of a Kind

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:23
Size: 97,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. UK Forty
(7:22) 2. One of a Kind
(8:18) 3. First Light
(2:30) 4. There Is No Greater Love
(4:44) 5. Love Connection
(7:12) 6. One of Another Kind
(7:56) 7. UK Forty One

Hubbard played the mellophone and trumpet working under local legends Wes and Monk Montgomery, before moving to New York and becoming immersed with some of the city’s finest Jazz musicians, including Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton, Eric Dolphy, J. J. Johnson, and Quincy Jones. His recording “Ready For Freddie” solidified him as one of the most innovative and underrated Jazz trumpet players alive, and it’s follow-up, the critically acclaimed album “First Light”, not only won him his first Grammy Award, cementing not only his jazz status but also his mainstream appeal

“…a barnstorming trumpet player… …triumphantly volatile.” – John Pareles, New York Times

The Ad Lib Series, now available on DVD for the first time, is a collection of 46 concert TV programs presenting the best Jazz, Pop and Blues artists showcasing their skills with a Jazz flair. Seen on TV internationally, Ad Lib (filmed in 1980) was the first musical television series recorded in Stereo. Each DVD features 2 episodes of the acclaimed Ad Lib Series.

As Seen on TV, this special Ad Lib Series DVD, “Freddie Hubbard: One of a Kind”, captures one of the 20th Century’s greatest Jazzmen, impressing everyone who heard him blow his horn. Freddie Hubbard, known throughout his career as a passionate yet bold and ferocious trumpeter, constantly adapted his playing style with a seemingly effortless poise, creating an individual style with powerful grace.
https://arkadiarecords.com/product/freddie-hubbard-one-of-a-kind/

Personnel: Freddie Hubbard: Trumpet; Billy Childs: Piano; Stephen Houghton: Drums; Buck Clark: Percussion; Larry Klein: Bass

One of a Kind

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Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:33
Size: 102,5 MB
Art: Front

(10:34) 1. The All Seeing Eye
(11:48) 2. Genesis
( 6:57) 3. Chaos
( 5:32) 4. Face Of The Deep
( 9:40) 5. Mephistopheles

With such titles as "The All Seeing Eye," "Genesis," "Chaos," "Face of the Deep," and "Mephistopheles," it is clear from the start that the music on this LP is not basic bop and blues. Wayne Shorter (who composed four of the five originals) picked an all-star cast (trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, altoist James Spaulding, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Joe Chambers, along with brother Alan Shorter on flügelhorn for the final song) to perform and interpret the dramatic selections, and their brand of controlled freedom has plenty of subtle surprises. This is stimulating music that still sounds fresh. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-all-seeing-eye-mw0000097755

Personnel: Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone; Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, flugelhorn; Grachan Moncur III – trombone; James Spaulding – alto saxophone; Herbie Hancock – piano; Ron Carter – bass; Joe Chambers – drums; Alan Shorter – flugelhorn (track 5 only)

The All Seeing Eye

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Kyoto

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:24
Size: 74,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:57) 1. The High Priest
(5:49) 2. Never Never Land
(5:04) 3. Wellington's Blues
(8:30) 4. Nihon Bash
(7:04) 5. Kyoto

Reissued on Fantasy's OJC series, this album finds Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers paying tribute to Japan (where they had toured to great acclaim) on two selections, featuring Art Blakey's cousin as a vocalist on "Wellington's Blues" (a real rarity in The Jazz Messengers' discography) and debuting Curtis Fuller's "The High Priest." With trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenorman Wayne Shorter and trombonist Fuller in fine form, this is one of literally dozens of recommended Jazz Messengers recordings.~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/kyoto-mw0000315032

Personnel: Art Blakey - drums; Freddie Hubbard – trumpet; Curtis Fuller – trombone; Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone; Cedar Walton - piano; Reggie Workman - bass; Wellington Blakey - vocals (track 3)

Kyoto

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McCoy Tyner & Freddie Hubbard Quartet - Live at Fabrik Hamburg 1986

Styles: Piano And Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 127:08
Size: 291,9 MB
Art: Front

(11:15) 1. Inner Glimpse
( 0:42) 2. Announcemet
(14:36) 3. Latino Suite
(14:53) 4. Body and Soul
(25:47) 5. Nero-Terra
(17:44) 6. Island Birdie
(14:43) 7. Round Midnight
(17:10) 8. Blues For Basie
(10:13) 9. What Is The Thing Called Love

Warning! Highly Flammable Material! This superb album, recorded in Hamburg in 1986 and never previously released, ought to come with a caution, so incendiary is it.

Strictly speaking, Live At Fabrik presents pianist McCoy Tyner's trio with bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Louis Hayes and guest artist Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and flugelhorn. In actuality, Hubbard's power-packed presence transforms the unit into a co-led quartet, as the cover art acknowledges. The 2 x CD album is, in effect, the chronicle of a summit meeting between two giants of post-bop jazz one of them, Hubbard, on the rebound from a fall from grace occasioned by his embrace of fusion in the 1970s, the other, Tyner, a bandleader who had never let his standards drop.

Hubbard exploded on to the scene at the start of the 1960s with a series of Blue Note albums under his own name and that of tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks and lest we forget, Tyner was the pianist on Hubbard's 1960 own-name debut, Open Sesame. Sideman dates followed for the likes of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Art Blakey and reed player Eric Dolphy. The 1970s, by contrast, were for the most part a wasteland, as Hubbard hitched his wagon to fusion and the pursuit of big bucks.

Tyner, on the other hand, after spending the first half of the 1960s as a member of Coltrane's classic quartet, kept the faith, metaphorically and literally (he had changed his name to Suleiman Saud in 1955), unencumbered, unlike Hubbard, by the need to maintain an expensive lifestyle which included a heavy late-1970s cocaine habit. But by the mid-1980s, Hubbard was back on the same page as Tyner and keen to prove it. The opening track on Live At Fabrik is a fiery performance of Tyner's propulsive "Inner Glimpse," on which Hubbard matches Tyner's intensity lightning flash by lightning flash, and the temperature rarely drops for the next two hours.

In a 2001 interview with All About Jazz's Craig Jolley, Hubbard said that, back in the 1960s, "Lee Morgan was the only young cat that scared me when he played. He had so much fire and natural feeling. I had more technique, but he had that feeling." Many listeners, including hardcore Morgan fans, would dispute the "natural feeling" part of that judgement, both as regards high-octane material such as "Inner Glimpse" and ballads such as John Green's "Body And Soul" and Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight," both of which are given emotionally charged readings by Hubbard (and Tyner).

Disc one concludes with a twenty-six minute performance of Hubbard's "Neo-Terra," previously heard on his ghastly Bob James-produced 1976 Columbia album, Windjammer. This time out it makes for exhilarating rather than infuriating listening (although to nitpick, Hubbard's pyrotechnics do at times touch on flash rather than substance).

And so the party continues. Side two highlights include Tyner's high spirited "Island Birdie" and raucous "Blues For Basie." The sound is perhaps a little boomy at times, but that may have been unavoidable in the cavernous converted-factory space of Fabrik which appropriately, the liner notes tell us, at one period manufactured explosives. Tyner and his trio are high impact throughout Live At Fabrik, but perhaps the biggest cause for celebration is Hubbard, back with a bang.
~Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-fabrik-mccoy-tyner-freddie-hubbard-quartet-jazzline-classics

Personnel: Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; McCoy Tyner: piano; Avery Sharpe: bass; Louis Hayes: drums.

Live at Fabrik Hamburg 1986

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Charlie Rouse - Bossa Nova Bacchanal

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:32
Size: 97,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Back to the Tropics
(2:58)  2. Aconteceu
(4:50)  3. Velhos Tempos
(6:18)  4. Samba de Orfeu
(5:56)  5. Un Dia
(5:58)  6. Meci Bon Dieu
(5:29)  7. In Martinique
(7:05)  8. One for Five

About eight or nine years ago, the major record labels finally realized that they could sell more copies of classic jazz CDs if they reissued them with the respect they deserved, including high-quality remastering and packaging. This has proved an unprecedented boon for the jazz fan; never have so many records by so many artists been readily available, even if the inventories are in cyberspace rather than in the attic of the corner shop. However, there is a cloud to this silver lining. There are simply so many old albums in the reissue queue that some artists, particularly those who were more prolific as sidemen than as leaders, are underrepresented. And not just in quantity sometimes whole stylistic forays are lost. A case in point is Charlie Rouse, the vastly underrated tenor man best known for his long tenure with Thelonious Monk in the late '50s and '60s. Thankfully, then, Blue Note has reissued Rouse’s 1962 Bossa Nova Bacchanal as part of its limited edition Connoisseur Series. I know, I know, “not another bossa nova cash-in album!” But keep an open mind; this is no crass marketing ploy. Bacchanal is actually a fine album, and apparently Rouse was very serious about making authentic bossa nova music, recruiting excellent Latin rhythm players alongside the dual guitar line of Kenny Burrell and Lord Westbrook (playing acoustic Spanish guitars). 

The selection of tunes is perfect, too, with really only one bossa warhorse (“Samba de Orfeu”), several refreshingly lesser-known gems (the breezy “Aconteceu,” the ominous “Meci Bon Dieu”), and a Rouse original for good measure. Rouse does nothing to soften his sharp-edged, sinusoidal tone but lacks nothing in melodic invention, and his acerbic lines provide a citric zing where this kind of music is often too sticky sweet. The dual-guitar team is a real treat, providing excellent solos (both Westbrook and Burrell have their chance to shine) and a constant stereophonic percolation in the background. A startling bonus track, however, threatens to steal the show, at least for Rouse fans "One For Five," a non-bossa original from a later, 1965 session with (get this) Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins. The tune is reminiscent of something that might have fit on Wayne Shorter’s contemporary Blue Notes, and it features a nice Rouse solo different from his Monk guise, as well as fleet work by Hubbard and Tyner. How the rest of this session could remain in the vaults is beyond imagining, and only goes to prove the point made above. So please, Blue Note, put out the rest, and soon but until then, thanks for the Brazilian appetizer. ~ Joshua Weiner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bossa-nova-bacchanal-charlie-rouse-blue-note-records-review-by-joshua-weiner.php

Personnel: Charlie Rouse, tenor sax; Kenny Burrell and Chauncey "Lord" Westbrook, guitars; Larry Gales, bass; Willie Bobo, drums; Patato Valdes, conga; Garvin Masseaux, chekere. On "One For Five": Rouse; Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; McCoy Tyner, piano; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Billy Higgins, drums

Bossa Nova Bacchanal

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Freddie Hubbard - This Is Jazz #25

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:17
Size: 119.7 MB
Styles: Fusion, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1970/1997
Art: Front

[12:07] 1. Red Clay
[ 9:08] 2. Spirits Of Trane
[ 7:34] 3. Sky Dive
[ 7:03] 4. In A Mist
[11:06] 5. Take It To The Ozone
[ 5:16] 6. Here's That Rainy Day

Freddie Hubbard's installment of Sony's This is Jazz series is devoted to his fusion records from the early '70s. While these recordings won't be of much interest to fans of his hard bop classics, Hubbard nevertheless skillfully navigated the funk grooves and soul vamps of fusion, creating music that truly grooved. This disc contains many of the highlights from his CTI records, and is a good sampler for the curious. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

This Is Jazz #25

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George Cables - Cables' Vision

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:30
Size: 93,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:48) 1. Morning Song
(8:55) 2. I Told You So
(8:49) 3. Byrdlike
(6:02) 4. Voodoo Lady
(4:24) 5. The Stroll
(5:28) 6. Inner Glow

One of the most satisfying recordings to be released in 1980 (and since reissued on CD in the OJC series), this date by pianist George Cables (who contributed four of the six group originals) features trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (who brought in "Byrdlike") and tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts in fiery form; the two horn players took time off from their much more commercial efforts for other labels. Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson is also in the sextet/septet with bassist Tony Dumas, drummer Peter Erskine, and sometimes percussionist Vince Charles; the one departure is "The Stroll," which is an adventurous piano-vibes duet by Cables and Hutcherson. The solos overall are concise and make expert use of each note. Cables' tunes (including "Morning Song," "I Told You So," and "Inner Glow") are generally catchy and memorable while "Byrdlike" gives the virtuosos an up-tempo blues to romp through. This logically conceived and well-paced set is a gem that is highly recommended.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/cables-vision-mw0000085929

Personnel: George Cables - piano, electric piano; Freddie Hubbard - flugelhorn; Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone; Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone (2, 3, 6), flute (4); Tony Dumas - bass, electric bass (1); Peter Erskine - drums; Vince Charles - percussion (2, 4, 6)

Cables' Vision

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Curtis Fuller - Cabin In The Sky

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:30
Size: 93,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:49) 1. The Prayer / Taking A Chance On Love
(4:00) 2. Cabin In The Sky
(3:22) 3. Old Ship Of Zion
(4:15) 4. Do What You Wanna Do
(3:25) 5. Honey In The Honeycomb
(4:57) 6. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
(2:45) 7. Savannah
(3:46) 8. Love Turned The Light Out
(3:40) 9. In My Old Virginia Home (On The River Nile)
(5:27) 10. Love Me Tomorrow (But Leave Me Alone Today) / The Prayer

If you love Miles Davis' Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess both arranged by Gil Evans then you simply must consider Curtis Fuller's Cabin in the Sky. Recorded over two days in April 1962 for Impulse, the album's orchestrations are on par with both Davis albums and frame Fuller's trombone beautifully. [Pictured above, Curtis Fuller]. Arranged by Manny Albam [pictured above] one of the finest composer-arrangers of the '50s and '60s who remains woefully underappreciated Cabin in the Sky has the same sighing quality and provocative brassy bombast as the Evans works. They shift, turn, swing and ponder all the way through.

On the album, Fuller (like Davis) is cast as a wandering, vulnerable soloist who must spar with surging sections of the orchestra that hurl all sorts of heavenly bolts at him. From start to finish, Cabin in the Sky is a masterpiece that truly needs fresh critical consideration.At the time, however, the album was a considered a commercial flop through no fault of Fuller or Albam. Which is both tragic and baffling, considering its spectacular qualities and the musicians involved. Here's who were talking about... On the tracks with strings: Curtis Fuller (tb), Eddie Costa (vib,perc), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b), Osie Johnson (d) and Margaret Ross (harp) along with unknown strings. On the orchestral tracks: Bernie Glow, Ernie Royal, Al DeRisi and Freddie Hubbard (tp); Curtis Fuller, Bob Brookmeyer, Kai Winding [pictured above] and Wayne Andre (tb); Alan Raph (b-tb) Harvey Phillips (tu) Jimmy Buffington, Ray Alonge, Tony Miranda and Morris Secon (fhr); Eddie Costa (vib); Hank Jones (p); Art Davis (b) and Osie Johnson (d).

As you can see, the date featured many of New York's finest. So what was the problem? To find out, I pulled Ashely Kahn's The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records off the shelf...

“The trombonist remembers that for a session requiring intricate coordination with large ensembles, all went surprisingly well until extra studio time was requested.

“ 'They allowed me three hours with the strings and three hours with the brass. The strings, obviously, went perfect; we got that done, boom, with time to spare. But we needed time to fuse the thing, to connect the strings with the brass... I said, No, [three hours is] kind of harsh, can we have another hour? They raised hell for about a week.'

“The album was completed, released with an evocative double male-female profile by photographer Pete Turner [pictured above], who received positive notice in the jazz press. Yet what ultimately transpired, from Fuller's perspective, was a bitter lesson in record company acccounting that can leave an unwary musician with little chance of recouping expenditures, some of which were hidden. “ '[Bob] Thiele said, If w'ere going to have strings, we're going to go all out. We went from a six-string ensemble to the New York Philharmonic. Well, now, whose budget is it anyway? Then I found out that they would charge me for the ashtrays and the music stands and everything else you know, this is a big business... [Photo above of Impulse producer Bob Thiele and John Coltrane by Joe Alper]

“ 'I think Creed [Taylor] would have run that over with me. But Bob Thiele was, Let's just do this and let's let it be done. But once the album came out, I just don't think that the company was prepared to put the kind of [marketing and promotional] money into it."

If you are unfamiliar with Fuller's Cabin in the Sky, you will be knocked out by the trombonist's conversational style and Manny Albam's extraordinary gift for turning an orchestra into a rip-tide of brassy energy. https://news.allaboutjazz.com/curtis-fuller-cabin-in-the-sky

Personnel: Curtis Fuller - trombone; Al DeRisi, Bernie Glow, Freddie Hubbard, Ernie Royal - trumpet; Ray Alonge, Jim Buffington, Anthony Miranda, Morris Secon - French horn; Wayne Andre, Kai Winding - trombone; Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone; Alan Raph - trombone, bass trombone; Harvey Phillips - tuba; Eddie Costa - vibraphone, percussion; Barry Galbraith - guitar; Hank Jones - piano; Art Davis, Milt Hinton - bass; Osie Johnson - drums; Harry Lookofsky - violin, concertmaster; Margaret Ross - Harp; Unnamed string section; Manny Albam - arranger, conductor

Cabin In The Sky

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Bobby Hutcherson - The Best Of The Blue Note Years

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:14
Size: 159,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:33) 1. Blues Mind Matter
(5:10) 2. Little B's Poem
(8:05) 3. Bouquet
(6:16) 4. Ghetto Lights
(5:57) 5. Patterns
(4:44) 6. 'Til Then
(5:18) 7. Dave's Chant
(9:26) 8. Same Shame
(7:47) 9. Ummh
(6:25) 10. Houston St. Thursday Afternoon
(6:28) 11. Roses Poses

Quick. Name some jazz vibraphonists. Most of you would pick the legendary Lionel Hampton, who played in Benny Goodman's band, among others. Some of you would name Milt Jackson, who's one-fourth of the Modern Jazz Quartet. But what about Bobby Hutcherson?

Thumbing through some jazz history books, you might find a page or two mentioning his name in passing, which is a shame. Not many people can make the vibes swing or sing, and Hutcherson should be added to the list. The recently released Bobby Hutcherson: The Best of the Blue Note Years spans nearly a decade of recordings with the record label beginning in 1965. The liner notes includes some background information from Down Beat magazine correspondent Mitchell Feldman. Hutcherson glides through the 11 tracks from 11 different albums with the greatest of ease. His sidemen are no slouchers themselves, including pianists Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonists Sam Rivers and Harold Land, bassist Ron Carter, and drummers Billy Higgins and Joe Chambers.

On "Dave's Chant," it starts out with a Latin feel, but then jumps into cut-time swing, with Hutcherson playing a Charlie Parker-like solo on the vibes, paving the way for Land to take the solo reins. Hutcherson's mallets travel so fast along the vibes during "Patterns," one would wish a movie camera had been trained on him during the recording session in order to see the brilliance. He's also eager to branch into different genres, like on the funk-blues-injected "Ummh" or the Latin influence in "Rose Poses." But this collection doesn't merely showcase Hutcherson. In most cases, he backs off to let the other players shine. Listen to Hancock's amazing solos on "Little B's Poem" and "Bouquet," or Rivers' and Hubbard's solos on "Ghetto Lights." In all, it's a collection that features the best of this relatively unknown yet phenomenal vibraphonist. ~ Michael Fortuna https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-best-of-the-blue-note-years-bobby-hutcherson-blue-note-records-review-by-michael-fortuna.php

Personnel: Bobby Hutcherson: vibes; Herbie Hancock: piano; Joe Henderson: alto saxophone; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Ron Carter: bass

The Best Of The Blue Note Years

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Freddie Hubbard - The Black Angel

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:42
Size: 105,2 MB
Art: Front

(16:58)  1. Spacetrack
( 8:20)  2. Eclipse
( 8:20)  3. The Black Angel
( 6:41)  4. Gittin' Down
( 5:21)  5. Coral Keys

Freddie Hubbard released The Black Angel in the same year as the landmark Miles Davis album Bitches Brew. Its obvious Hubbard wanted to appeal to the emerging crossover rock/jazz crowd of the era. The presence of bop, however, still permeated Hubbard's playing, unlike Miles who had long since dropped the form. The opening Hubbard composition "Spacetrack" contains fiery avant garde interplay between Hubbard, James Spaulding on alto and Kenny Barron's electric piano. Thanks to Spaulding and bassist Reggie Workman, much of the playing here maintains intensity. 

The other Hubbard penned originals, "Gittin Down" is an urgent hard swinging boogaloo and the ballad "Eclipse" features Spaulding on flute and Barron on piano. "Coral Keys" written by Walter Bishop, Jr. and Barron's "Black Angel have a Latin tinge highlighted by Spaulding's soaring flute and the congas of Carlos "Patato" Valdes. An enjoyable session leaving the impression Hubbard was preparing to take a different musical direction. ~ Al Campbell https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-black-angel-mw0000054744

Personnel: Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard; Alto Saxophone; Piano, Electric Piano – Kenny Barron; Flute – Jimmy Spaulding ; Bass – Reggie Workman; Congas, Maracas – Carlos "Potato" Valdes; Drums – Louis Hayes

The Black Angel

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Booker Ervin - Booker And Brass

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:58
Size: 115,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. East Dallas Special
(4:29)  2. I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
(4:31)  3. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(5:06)  4. L.A. After Dark - Master Take-6
(3:22)  5. Kansas City
(4:39)  6. Baltimore Oriole
(4:21)  7. Harlem Nocturne
(4:16)  8. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
(4:13)  9. St. Louis Blues
(5:12) 10. L.A. After Dark - Alt. Take-3
(5:04) 11. L.A. After Dark - Alt. Take-7

To hear Booker Ervin as the leading solo voice on a recording with a larger ensemble is a treat, not only for his fans, but for those interested in modern big-band sounds grown from the bop era that are flavored with urban blues. A trio of different sessions done at Webster Hall in New York City features groups ranging from ten to eleven pieces, with personnel switched up, and no supplemental saxophonists. Freddie Hubbard is the only other soloist besides Ervin, the trombone section features top-rate players Bennie Green, Britt Woodman, and Garnett Brown, and the rhythm section of pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Lenny McBrowne is as solid as can be. The session is based entirely on themes dedicated to major cities in the U.S. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/booker-n-brass-mw0000041557

Personnel: Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone; Martin Banks (tracks 1-3, 5, 7 & 8), Johnny Coles (tracks 1, 2 & 5), Ray Copeland, Freddie Hubbard (tracks 3, 4 & 6-11), Charles Tolliver (tracks 4, 6 & 9-11), Richard Williams - trumpet; Garnett Brown (tracks 3, 4 & 6-11), Bennie Green, Britt Woodman (tracks 1, 2 & 5) - trombone; Benny Powell (tracks 1-3, 5, 7 & 8) - bass trombone; Kenny Barron - piano; Reggie Johnson - bass; Lenny McBrowne - drums; Teddy Edwards - arranger, conductor

Booker And Brass

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Dexter Gordon - Doin' Allright (Remastered 2015)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:44
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:18)  1. I Was Doing All Right
( 7:27)  2. You've Changed
( 5:45)  3. For Regulars Only
(12:21)  4. Society Red
( 6:14)  5. It's You Or No One
( 6:14)  6. I Want More
( 6:21)  7. For Regulars Only (Alternate Take)

From the first track of this record in Blue Note's 45rpm double-disc reissue series tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon certainly seems to be doing just fine. That opener, "I Was Doing All Right," lilts along with a nice 'n' easy, early 1960s treatment of an insistently positive George Gershwin melody. Gordon doesn't rush his solo, but allows it to intensify naturally from the surrounding breeze. He explores the entire range of his instrument, allowing his pace to ebb and flow while never jettisoning himself from the track of comfortable swing. Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard enters on and retains a brasher course, slashing through a stream of jagged, harmonic lines. Pianist Horace Parlan goes farther afield, injecting the tune with some passing abstract figures. Coming back from the R&B-tinged fade with which he ends the first track, Gordon enters "You've Changed" with acrobatic flips and spirals before settling his horn into the rhythm's crackling warmth. Again, the saxophonist leaves no point on his horn's tonal spectrum untouched, all along dipping into the sugary pools of regret left by the passage of time. Hubbard traces the low, stretched breaths of drummer Al Harewood's brushes, then works the harmony and, later, moans along with Gordon as the leader makes his return. "For Regulars Only," the first of two Gordon originals, lifts the record's spirits back to its opening contentment. Together, Gordon and Hubbard graph a sharp-toothed, yet pleasant, bop melody. Alone, Gordon's tone is bright and forceful, his lines angular and dancing. 

Hubbard, for whom this racing, riff-heavy tune seems tailor-made, surprises a bit by softening the edges of his blowing, rather than cutting into the listener with the expected blare. It's a relaxed, somewhat against-type approach that works to excellent effect. Parlan, for his part, operates here like a film editor, attaching several unresolved passages into a series of piano jump-cuts before the horns return to restate the theme. Yet, despite the solid work heard throughout the first three numbers, the album's lasting value resides on what originally constituted its second side (and which here comprises the second disc). "Society Red," the second Gordon original, is a relaxed, yet powerful, blues that first hands the solo reins to Hubbard. He's in no hurry to jolt the listener, but rides the relaxed vibe awhile. Soon, however, he enters his familiar blowing terrain, spitting piercing shots to the heavens. Gordon revisits some of these volleys with a deeper, warmer sound and the occasional growl. Much as in the album's opener, he steadily builds his story, ever filling the available space with more information more details without ever disrupting the flow, like a boxer expertly working the speed bag. Parlan applies a soft, rolling touch, skewing the blues into an abstract take on ragtime. This nice recollection of jazz's first steps gives way to bassist George Andrew Tucker's only individual statement on the record: a loping bend to the space-time continuum. "It's You or No One," brings all the aforementioned together to close the album. 

A burning bop pow-wow, it's awash with quick, flowing lines, staccato shots, trills and R&B warble. Gordon turns in what may be his best solo of the set here, augmenting the curls of his Spirograph drawing with sharp cutbacks and drooping sighs. While brief, Hubbard's sprinting effort also impresses, retaining through the speed the kind of warmth that made Miles Davis' trumpet smile. Parlan spins a spiked wheel, twirling through cyclical motifs with a cubist touch. The horns blow in to clear the field, then trade with Tucker's bass before giving way to Harewood's brief, but aggressive drum solo. Gordon and Hubbard then join forces a last time to see the album out with a final battle charge. It's a glorious send-off for an album that's rote procedure in spots, but comes on in the second half with two inspired hard bop attacks. ~ Matt Marshall https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dexter-gordon-doin-allright-by-matt-marshall.php

Personnel: Dexter Gordon, tenor sax; Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; Horace Parlan, piano; George Tucker, bass; Al Harewood, drums.

Doin' Allright

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Slide Hampton - Drum Suite

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:36
Size: 143,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:21)  1. Fump
(5:09)  2. Lover
(8:26)  3. Like Someone In Love
(4:28)  4. Gallery Groove
(5:23)  5. Our Waltz
(3:35)  6. It's All Right With Me
(3:14)  7. Stella By Starlight
(6:55)  8. Drum Suite (Parts I-V)
(5:46)  9. Well You Needn't
(3:14) 10. Sleigh Ride

This album, originally released by Epic, features trombonist-arranger Slide Hampton's augmented octet but it was overlooked when it was released in 1962 despite the all-star personnel. Hampton's arrangements are forward-looking hard bop and among the key soloists are tenor saxophonist Yusef Lateef (who is heard throughout in top form), drummer Max Roach and Hampton himself. The five-part "Drum Suite" is the most ambitious work but all of the arrangements have their unexpected moments, and Hampton's playing on an up-tempo "It's All Right with Me" is outstanding. This limited-edition Mosaic release, just a single CD, augments the original set with a version of "Well You Needn't" that was only out previously on an obscure sampler, plus a previously unreleased "Sleigh Ride" from the same dates. Overall the music is rewarding and if not quite essential, there are enough exciting moments (whether from the ensembles or the main soloists) to make this a recommended acquisition. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/drum-suite-mw0000495824

Personnel: Slide Hampton - trombone, arranger; John Bello, Hobart Dotson, Freddie Hubbard, Willie Thomas, Richard Williams - trumpet; Benny Jacobs-El - trombone; George Coleman - tenor saxophone; Yusef Lateef - flute, tenor saxophone; Jay Cameron - baritone saxophone; Tommy Flanagan - piano; Eddie Khan - bass; Vinnie Ruggiero, Max Roach - drums

Drum Suite Zippy

Drum Suite MC

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Brian Bromberg - A New Day

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:11
Size: 108,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Summertime
(6:23)  2. Sunrise
(7:09)  3. Take A Walk In The Park With Me
(5:25)  4. Shana
(6:02)  5. Mushy Tushy
(5:08)  6. It's A New Day
(6:03)  7. My Funny Valentine
(6:24)  8. Oriental Ho-Down

Bassist Brian Bromberg's debut as a leader finds him alternating between acoustic and electric and welcoming such guests as tenorman Ernie Watts, Joe Farrell (on his final recording date) and, during "Take a Walk in the Park With Me," flugelhornist Freddie Hubbard. This diverse LP (which has not yet been reissued on CD) ranges from fairly straight-ahead to some funk and fusion; Bromberg performs six originals, plus "Summertime" and "My Funny Valentine." An enjoyable set, although not essential. 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-day-mw0000947779

Personnel: Brian Bromberg - keyboards, fretless bass, producer, executive producer; Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone; Greg Armstrong - soprano saxophone; Joe Farrell - flute; Freddie Hubbard - trumpet; Arthur Statman - keyboards;  Kei Akagi - keyboards; Guy Moon - keyboards; Carl Cherry - drums; Alex Acuña - percussion, drums.

A New Day

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Freddie Hubbard - Ballads

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:59
Size: 110,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Body And Soul
(6:26)  2. But Beautiful
(6:07)  3. Mirrors
(6:37)  4. Weaver Of Dreams
(7:47)  5. I Wished I Knew - Remastered
(4:48)  6. Cry Me Not
(9:42)  7. Lament For Booker

Freddie Hubbard's early years on Blue Note found him quickly developing from a Clifford Brown hard bopper to a more original stylist. This sampler (released as a 1997 CD) finds Hubbard emphasizing his warm sound on seven ballads including "Body and Soul," "But Beautiful" and his own "Lament for Booker." The material is drawn from seven of his excellent Blue Note sessions, all of which are also individually available in full. Nice music played with such sidemen as tenors Wayne Shorter, Tina Brooks, Hank Mobley and Jimmy Heath, altoist James Spaulding and pianists Cedar Walton, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock, among others. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/ballads-mw0000024386

Ballads

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Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:05
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. Maiden Voyage
( 6:01)  2. The Eye Of The Hurricane
( 8:47)  3. Little One
(10:03)  4. Survival Of The Fittest
( 9:16)  5. Dolphin Dance

Over the past forty-nine years there's been no shortage of ink spilled extolling the musical virtues of Herbie Hancock's 1965 recording, Maiden Voyage. Featuring the great trumpet of Freddie Hubbard and the bracing tenor of George Coleman, the record is as good as any effort turned in by Hancock during that period. It's a record every jazz fan should know. Unfortunately, Maiden Voyage also has a long standing reputation for mediocre sound quality. In another review of an expensive vinyl re-release of this record I wrote, "There is nothing to be gained by a first-class analogue pressing of a record that, sadly, was not recorded with the attention to sound quality that it deserved." In my record collection, the smeared quality of every instrument is prominent on a recent CD issue and the aforementioned double 45RPM LP, and an original 1965 vinyl copy while less smeared sounds flat and dull. I acquired each of these disks successively in a quest to find a truly good sounding copy of this date, and was disappointed each time. With that many different versions revealing similar deficiencies it's easy to conclude that this record just wasn't very well recorded in the first place.  All Rudy Van Gelder recordings from the 1950s and 60s have a certain period quality to them. Hard-panning instruments to the left and right channels creates an unnatural soundstage environment. Horns brass and woodwinds generally fare the best, with full-sized scale, realism, and even air surrounding the players (in some cases they're quite extraordinary). Drums and bass are also pretty good. The piano, however, has long been criticized for often sounding small, muffled and indistinct. 

That piano alone makes almost any Van Gelder recording instantly recognizable as such. For whatever the reason, other copies of Maiden Voyage seemed to suffer the additional indignity of an even more deeply truncated piano, blurring of the other instruments, and a collapsed soundstage that sounds as though it had been recorded in a closet. It's never sounded as good as it should have for the quality of its music, making it a frustrating record to love. So when Ron Rambach of Music Matters announced that he was shipping his 33rpm version of Maiden Voyage the first thing that sprung to mind was, "Why bother? It's been done to death and it never gets any better." I stuck it on a shelf without even opening it until Rambach followed up with several emails insisting that I listen to it. Finally relenting, I tossed it on the turntable with absolutely no expectation of being impressed. What else could I possibly hear in this fourth copy that I hadn't already heard in the first three? Boy, was I wrong. It is said that the original master tape for this date has deteriorated significantly over the years, making a truly great 1st generation analog copy supposedly impossible. Yet here it is. Rambach is pretty relentless about getting great sound out of his Blue-Note re-releases, but given its history the sound quality on this pressing is truly surprising. 

The smearing is gone, the instruments are distinct, the soundstage has actual depth that doesn't exist even on my original copy, and most impressively, the piano sounds like an actual piano: large(er. It's still a Van Gelder, after all.), weighty, and dynamic. The horns sound life-like and detailed, Ron Carter's bass has woody pluck, and Tony Williams' drums have resonance while the cymbals shimmer in space. Perhaps the only thing missing in comparison to the best Van Gelder Blue Notes is the scale of the instruments, which on certain recordings can be almost bigger than life. Here, they lack any vertical height, leaving them to sound a little small in a very wide soundstage, a minor quibble on an overall excellent mastering job from a troublesome tape. As usual with the Music Matters releases, the vinyl is dead quiet, which helps more detail emerge from the recording. Whatever hi-fi mojo Rambach and mastering Engineer Kevin Gray used to get this sound off that tape and onto new vinyl, it should be bottled and shipped to every recording engineer in the world. Maiden Voyage has always been musically first-rate, but I'd written off this recording as sonically dead years ago. It's been brought back to life in the most dramatic way. It's still a Van Gelder recording of course, and it sounds like one, with all of the period sonic hallmarks that entails, but now it sounds like a solidly good Van Gelder recording instead a botched job. I've often wondered, "What if Maiden Voyage had actually been recorded properly?" This Music Matters 33rpm pressing is the answer writ large. With sincere apologies to Rudy Van Gelder, this turns out to have been a pretty darned good recording after all. 

~ Greg Simmons https://www.allaboutjazz.com/maiden-voyage-herbie-hancock-blue-note-records-review-by-greg-simmons 7952.php

Personnel: Herbie Hancock: piano; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; George Coleman: tenor saxophone; Ron Carter: bass; Tony Williams: drums.

Maiden Voyage

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Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:51
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:21)  1. One Finger Snap
( 8:30)  2. Oliloqui Valley
( 5:34)  3. Cantaloupe Island
(14:01)  4. The Egg
( 7:37)  5. One Finger Snap (Alternative Take)
(10:47)  6. Oliloqui Valley (Alternative Take)

As a member of Miles Davis' second quintet during the 1960s, pianist Herbie Hancock rarely performed live under his own leadership, but he did take the time to record. Hancock's 1964 effort, Empyrean Isles, remains one of the most diverse and often challenging records of the pianist's tenure with Blue Note Records. It's a rare jazz record that offers both a hugely popular hit, as well as an outré masterwork of rhythmic repetition and angular melodies. A masterpiece like Empyrean Isles deserves a first-class reissue, and the good folks at Music Matters have undertaken to press the ultimate vinyl version. With access to the original master tapes, some of the finest cutting and pressing equipment available, and a boatload of enthusiasm, they've cut what was a single LP onto two 180g 45 rpm discs that simply smoke any CD version ever released. Packaged with a deluxe, full-color gatefold jacket, and additional Francis Wolff session photographs inside, this pressing is a feast for both the aural and visual senses. Empyrean Isles is best know for the hit "Cantaloupe Island," which alone is worth hearing on this vinyl edition. The sound is large and smooth, and the piano which can sometimes sound boxed in on Van Gelder recordings is almost full-sized. Most importantly the weight of the piano chords come through loud and clear. What is most startling is the amount of additional information revealed through this true analog pressing. Freddie Hubbard's trumpet is brassy and rich, and Ron Carter's bass, which can often lack tone and depth on CD, is plump and three-dimensional. "Cantaloupe Island" has become one of the most ubiquitous jazz songs ever, especially after being sampled by Us3 for their hit 

"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)." A pressing like this will make people question whether they've ever really heard it at all. The real meat of Empyrean Islesits adventurous heart lies with "The Egg," A thirteen-minute exploration of the limits of beat repetition that includes some of Hubbard's most restless trumpet playing. He strains his horn against the locked rhythm, looking for a way out that never comes. It's a fascinating juxtaposition of improvisation over rigid reiteration. On this Music Matters pressing, those elements have never been clearer, with the Tony Williams' drums revealing particular snap and scale. Like most albums in the Blue Note catalog of the 1950s and '60s, Empyrean Isles was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. That pedigree leaves a few period sonic fingerprints, but on the whole, with the proper care taken in this remastering, this recording offers a wealth of fresh detail and enhanced musicality. Empyrean Isles has fared well through the Music Matters process, yielding a pressing that will truly augment an understanding of the music. 

~ Greg Simmons https://www.allaboutjazz.com/empyrean-isles-herbie-hancock-blue-note-records-review-by-greg-simmons.php

Personnel: Herbie Hancock: piano; Freddie Hubbard: cornet; Ron Carter: bass; Tony Williams: drums.

Empyrean Isles

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Eric Dolphy - The Essential Eric Dolphy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:01
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:57)  1. G.W.
(5:11)  2. Les - Rudy Van Gelder Remaster
(6:40)  3. The Meetin'
(5:00)  4. Feathers
(2:43)  5. Eclipse
(8:42)  6. Ode To Charlie Parker
(8:01)  7. Mrs. Parker Of K.C. (Bird's Mother)
(9:53)  8. Ralph's New Blues
(8:50)  9. Status Seeking

This is strictly for the budget-conscious. It does have some valuable material, but no anthology can accurately assess Dolphy's importance. 

~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-eric-dolphy-mw0000198039

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy; Bass – George Tucker; Drums – Roy Haynes; Piano – Jaki Byard; Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

The Essential Eric Dolphy

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Freddie Hubbard - Jazz Moods - Hot

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:03
Size: 165,8 MB
Art: Front

(12:09)  1. Red Clay
( 7:01)  2. Take It To The Ozone
(11:03)  3. First Light
(10:42)  4. The Intrepid Fox
( 7:34)  5. Sky Dive
( 6:04)  6. Theme From Kareem
(17:26)  7. Straight Life

Jazz Moods: Hot collects various tracks from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's '70s CTI label recordings. These are stellar, funky, and forward-thinking cuts that, while highly regarded, are often overlooked in favor of Hubbard's '60s Blue Note recordings. While fans of '70s fusion will want to pick up the complete albums, this works as a solid introduction to the second half of Hubbard's career. Included are all the title songs from the albums, including 1970's "Red Clay" and 1972's "First Light" as well as such standout album tracks as "Theme From Kareem" off 1978's Super Blue. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-moods-hot-mw0000475807

Jazz Moods - Hot

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