The sheer calibre of the Hubbard body of work is the focus, both familiar and less so numbers
As valid as what the Cookers do but a lot softer on the inside
If you are after a blood and guts all guns blazing treatment of some of the gems from the songbook of Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008) this isn’t for you.
But if you aren’t and want to get to grips with the gentler, passionate side of this great trumpeter and composer this is as valid as what the Cookers do even when the David Weiss supergroup is a lot feistier and has broader horizons.
Tender is the night is the name of the game.
And there are some lovely touches and a whole lotta blood, sweat and tears put into this well put together assemblage of Hubbard material mainly drawn from the 1960s and 70s.
As beginnings go you couldn’t ask for better than an effervescent treatment of ‘Crisis,’ that goes back to Art Blakey’s 1962 Blue Note album Mosaic when Hubbard was in the Messengers with Wayne Shorter and Curtis Fuller in the front line.
Later the likes of Willie Bobo, Jimmy Rowles as well as Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band covered the number.
A stirring version of ‘Little Sunflower’
Also here on this Posi-Tone release ‘First Light’ Hubbard himself introduced on the album of the same name issued in 1971. Percy Faith then covered it in easy listening fashion later in the decade.
But more recently Eddie Henderson – who is in the Hubbard inspired supergroup The Cookers – covered it in 2015 on his own Smoke Sessions release, Collective Portrait.
Diego Rivera’s soprano sax playing is a strong suit
- the twist is there’s no trumpet player in the line-up. That absence isn’t at all a debilitating Banquo at this particular feast.
‘Latina’ also covered by Blue Moods – collective personnel: saxist Diego Rivera; pianist Art Hirahara on some tracks, fellow instrumentalist Jon Davis the rest; bassist Boris Kozlov; drummer Vinnie Sperrazza on this studio album recorded in June last year – goes back to High Blues Pressure (Atlantic, released 1968) that had Nasheet Waits’ dad Freddie on drums on that album track.
The lovely ballad ‘Brigitte’ opened Keep Your Soul Together (CTI, 1974) which was nicely remastered a couple of years ago.
It gained a moving ”with strings” cover by fine Northern Irish trumpeter Linley Hamilton on his Making Other Arrangements album issued in 2018.
Backlash to the future – Hubbard is influential on so many players today
And also on Force & Grace is Backlash gem ‘On the Que-Tee’ that appeared on Atlantic produced by Arif Mardin in 1967.
George Colligan is among artists to have covered it since.
That version was the closing track on the pianist’s 1990s trio album Activism put out by the redoubtable Danes at Steeplechase.
Looking to chase the blues away pronto post-Yule?
- Force & Grace is even better than the hair of the dog
‘Little Sunflower,’ one of Hubbard’s most beloved compositions, is also here – again a Backlash inclusion and covered by many down the years including Christian McBride in the 1990s and more recently in a lovely trio version by that fine Norwegian pianist Helge Lien on his ode To the Little Radio issued 20 years ago.
The soprano playing of Rivera on this is one of the big Force & Grace highlights as too is the stately time keeping of Kozlov on the same piece.
Give into temptation
Kirk Lightsey fans will know ‘Gibraltar’ from Temptation that the great Dexter Gordon pianist was on with Hubbard back in the 1980s. Stacey Kent pianist Hirahara does Lightsey proud.
- Other Hubbard material covered:
D Minor Mint (which goes back to 1964’s Breaking Point); ‘Sky Dive,’ the title track of the 1973 CTI album; ‘Happy Times’ which is also covered by long time Hubbard drummer Carl Allen on his upcoming album Tippin’; the beautiful ‘Lament for Booker’ from 60s Blue Note classic Hub-Tones which had Herbie Hancock on it; and finally ‘Soul Surge’ with its kind of boogaloo feel which was on 60s album Blue Spirits. Davis plays a blinder here on this slice of feelgoodness. Looking to chase the blues away pronto post-Yule? Force & Grace is better than the hair of the dog. Take the cure today.
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