Freddie Hubbard burst onto the New York jazz scene when he was hardly into his 20s. His powerful tone and fiery technique made him one of the most influential trumpeters in jazz. Below are five albums that the jazz legend recorded as a leader (with the exception of V.S.O.P.'s The Quintet, which lists Herbie Hancock as leader, although Hubbard's trumpet can be considered the lead voice in the ensemble).
1. Open Sesame (Blue Note, 1960)
Courtesy of Blue Note
His debut album as a leader, Hubbard recorded Open Sesame when he was 22 years old. His style is heavily influenced by Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan, with clean, sharp bebop lines and bluesy inflections. With his assured tone and boisterous melodies, he proved himself as a leading hard bop musician.
2. Hub-Tones (Blue Note, 1962)
Courtesy of Blue Note Records
On Hub-Tones, Hubbard combines his hard bop style with avant-garde influences. Two years earlier, he had recorded on Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz (Atlantic), and the ambiance of that style seems to linger in his playing. Hub-Tones is best known for Hubbard's interplay with pianist Herbie Hancock, as well as Hubbard's compositions, including the title track and "Lament for Booker," a ballad written for fellow trumpeter Booker Little, who died in 1961 at the age of 23.
3. Backlash (Atlantic, 1966)
Courtesy of Atlantic Records
Backlash represents a transitional period for Hubbard, who had recently left Blue Note in 1966, and would go on to make several pop-influenced records in the 1970s. This album features a range of styles, from the swaggering title track, drawing heavily from the hardest of hard bop, the swinging "On the Que-Tee," and the laid back "Little Sunflower." The compositions are generally simple and captivating, and serve as a vehicle for Hubbard to demonstrate his razor-sharp technique and explosive melodies.
4. Red Clay (CTI Records, 1970)
Courtesy of CTI Records
Red Clay, Freddie Hubbard's debut album for CTI Records, sheds older jazz influences for driving groove, blues, and soul. Herbie Hancock's electric piano, along with Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, give this record a powerful sound that straddles genres.
5. V.S.O.P.'s 'The Quintet' (Columbia, 1977
Courtesy of Columbia Records
This quintet, which is identical to the late 1960s Miles Davis quintet (Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Tony Williams on drums, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone), only with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet in place of Davis, was recorded live at two performances in 1977. The music has the dramatic flexibility of the Davis quintet, with the addition of Freddie Hubbard's rich tone and unique melodic concept.
