Freddie Hubbard: Fastball

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

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Published: June 1, 2001

More Live at the Left Bank from the Hard Bop Trumpeting Dream, Freddie Hubbard.

Recorded April 23, 1967, this Freddie Hubbard recital offers an extended look at the trumpet wunderkind during a recording transitional period. Hubbard was just following his recording for Blue Note (with The Night of the Cookers: Live at Club La Marchal, Vols. 1 & 2, Blue Note 28882, 1965 with releases for Atlantic ( Backlash, Atlantic 1477, 1966, High Blues Pressure, Atlantic 1501, 1967. The urbane Kenny Barron, who was certainly in a precocious mood on this particular Sunday afternoon, joins Hubbard. Benny Maupin lends his fat tenor to this excursion. Filling out the rhythm section is drummer Freddie Waits, and bassist Herbie Lewis.

This disc is a trumpet workout by a young lion at the height of his youthful, swagger power. He opens this disc with a reprised "Pensativa" from The Night of the Cookers. Here Hubbard is at his earsplitting, physics-defying best as he blows chorus after chorus. "Willow Weeps for Me" is exceptional for its beautifully sexual arrogance. This is no spurned lover, the spirit of this performance could care less. None of the five pieces clocks in less than ten minutes, giving the listener a good idea of what Freddie Hubbard was up to in the Summer of Love. Fastball is another treasure from Label M and the Left Bank Club.

Track Listing: Pensativa; Echoes of Blue; Crisis; Willow Seep for Me; Bob's Place. (Total Time: 63.17)

Personnel: Freddie Hubbard: Trumpet; Benny Maupin: Tenor Saxophone; Kenny Barron: Piano; Herbie Lewis: Bass; Freddie Waits: Drums.

Record Label: Label M
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream