Track Listing

1. First Light
2. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
3. Moment to Moment
4. Yesterday's Dreams
5. Lonely Town [From On the Town]
6. Fantasy in D

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26099 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

First Light is truly first
A basic principle of marketing and advertising states that if you have a great product, chances are it'll sell itself. This principle also applies to the world of jazz - and Freddie Hubbard exploits his product with such passion and zeal that the man needs nothing more than his trumpet and a group of skilled sidemen to offer a sound that could fill thousands of billboards.
I've been a devoted listener to Hubbard's work, both collecting and indulging myself in all of his projects, ranging from his tenure has a sideman with Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, and Hank Mobley as well as all of his material as group leader, and, at times, Hubbard comes close to displacing Miles Davis as my all-time favorite trumpeter.

When I first heard this album, it was not hard to displace the legendary Miles Davis and rank Freddie Hubbard as the greatest trumpet player in jazz.

The liner notes tell the rest of the story - about how, even in 1971, Hubbard was on the verge of nationally displacing Miles Davis as the #1 jazz trumpeter because Miles was venturing too deeply into the impressionistic virtuosities of jazz-rock fusion and was simply keeping afloat by reputation alone. But when it came to pure, unadulterated talent: Hubbard was the man who could play the trumpet like no one else.

Many of Hubbard's earlier albums are some of the best jazz records I've ever listened to, and much of his sideman work is surely something to brag on, but by the time this album was recorded, Hubbard infused this album with something that no other album contains: communication. From the very first note to the very last, it is impossible to turn your attention away from the music because each note is like a word in an intimate conversation - and each word is part of a wonderful story.

For instance, on the opening title track, the listener is immediately transported to a remote location at sunrise, and as the sun continues to rise with each note, the location becomes less and less remote until it becomes an entire metropolis booming with activity due to the break of day. Hubbard does an extraordinary job transforming Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town" into an expressionistic masterwork of his own while at the same time giving new life to a freshly released "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul and Linda McCartney. By the end of the final track, "Fantasy in D," which lives up to the fantastic qualities of its name, you will want to listen to the whole thing again and again and again. These songs are not the typical jazz interpretations of pop songs and showtunes: these are pop songs and showtunes which, because of Hubbard's great product, become jazz standards.

Simply Brilliant
Following on from Red Clay and Straight Life is this great Grammy winning album. Freddie Hubbard is seemingly at the height of his powers here once again and backed up by a supporting cast that includes a number of other established stars. Musically, Freddie's trumpet/flugelhorn is just a pleasure to listen to. The title track is the highlight of the CD and the live version (offered as a bonus track) is also really enjoyable. The other tracks are primarily jazz interpretations of existing tunes but they come off sounding much better than that might suggest. This is a great album to sit back and listen to with the lights out. The great musicianship just demands your attention and there is seldom a dull moment as it unfolds.

It may be Freddie's favorite recording, but it's not his best
Freddie Hubbard has claimed this is his favorite recording, and it may very well be so, but it is far from his best work. It lacks the dexterity and freshness of his early work with Herbie Hancock (think Maiden Voyage, et al) and solo efforts such as Hubtones, and it lacks the raw originality and groove of his later (relatively speaking) recordings, such as Red Clay and Straight Life; that being said, I can see why the artist would be fond of this particular suite, for it's lush textures, beautiful melodies, and easy breezy feelings it's grooves produce, and also the great Freddie solos. It is a top-notch work, especially if one is a fan of the heavy production CTI engineers commonly used, and this recording is no exception. If adding strings to jazz conjures memories of long elevator rides or grocery store trips, stay away from this album. If solid arranging and soloing trumps a faint cheese smell for you, then buy away.

Zach