Is Freddie Hubbard's Columbia Material Available Anywhere?

[DMP]

I know Hubbard's "Columbia" albums aren't highly regarded, but I had them all and always found something worthwhile there. What's happened to them? There might be a stray cut here and there on an anthology, but has any of this stuff been put out in the CD era? (And, while I'm thinking about it - what's happened to all the "live" Art Farmer "Columbia" material? And the album where he plays "jazz hits?")

[JSngry]

The Hubbard Columbia material seems like a natural for Collectables, they of the Herbie Mann Atlantic collections.

[marcello]

(And, while I'm thinking about it - what's happened to all the "live" Art Farmer "Columbia" material?)

Like this one?

Art Farmer: The Time and the Place

[DMP]

Right - "Time And The Place." More material from that date surfaced on a 2 LP set (along with leftovers from the "Greatest hits" album, which featured the same Heath/Walton quintet). ("Collectables did do a straight reissue of "Time," coupled with that "Baroque" album.) But back to the Hubbards - there's been a lot worse stuff reissued. (Good line there from JSngry about "Collectables," by the way.) (Herbie Mann's "Atlantic" albums - talk about a mixed bag!)

[kh1958]

I listened to a side of High Energy recently and rather liked it (this one has Junior Cook on it).

As I recall, Superblue had some merit.

On the other hand, I recall Liquid Love as being beyond hope of redemption.

I have the first two on LP and have never seen a CD of any of these three.

I would rather see Keep Your Soul Together reissued on a (domestic) CD.

Edited 18 Jan 2006 by kh1958

[Free For All]

I like Superblue a lot. Definitely a pearl in the midst of many very commercial offerings.

With Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Jack DeJohnette, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter.

Nice tunes, no B.S.

The cover, well that's another matter.....

[Chuck Nessa]

I like Superblue a lot. Definitely a pearl in the midst of many very commercial offerings.

With Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Jack DeJohnette, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter.

Nice tunes, no B.S.

The cover, well that's another matter.....

That cover reminds me of Lester Bowie telling me "If they make a movie about Pops and Freddie doesn't play him, they're fucked up".

[Eric]

I like Superblue a lot. Definitely a pearl in the midst of many very commercial offerings.

With Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Jack DeJohnette, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter.

Nice tunes, no B.S.

The cover, well that's another matter.....

A couple tracks from Super Blue show up on a recent Columbia (or Sony) FH complilation (CTI material comprises the rest of it).

[Trumpet Guy]

I listened to a side of High Energy recently and rather liked it (this one has Junior Cook on it).

As I recall, Superblue had some merit.

On the other hand, I recall Liquid Love as being beyond hope of redemption.

I have the first two on LP and have never seen a CD of any of these three.

I would rather see Keep Your Soul Together reissued on a (domestic) CD.

Yeah I just bought "High Energy"(on vinyl for $1) and was pleasantly surprised by the excellent playing and tunes.This is another record in that Herbie/ Mwandishi vibe/zone. Freddie even uses the echoplex or something from that time on his trumpet. George Cables plays great!

Yeah I think Superblue is a great recording!

Bundle Of Joy has that great trumpet ballad tune--"A Portrait Of Jenny"--Freddie and harp! But the rest of the album was pretty funny...

[jazzbo]

That cover reminds me of Lester Bowie telling me "If they make a movie about Pops and Freddie doesn't play him, they're fucked up".

Word!

Edited 19 Jan 2006 by jazzbo

[kh1958]

I listened to a side of High Energy recently and rather liked it (this one has Junior Cook on it).

As I recall, Superblue had some merit.

On the other hand, I recall Liquid Love as being beyond hope of redemption.

I have the first two on LP and have never seen a CD of any of these three.

I would rather see Keep Your Soul Together reissued on a (domestic) CD.

Yeah I just bought "High Energy"(on vinyl for $1) and was pleasantly surprised by the excellent playing and tunes.This is another record in that Herbie/ Mwandishi vibe/zone. Freddie even uses the echoplex or something from that time on his trumpet. George Cables plays great!

Yeah I think Superblue is a great recording!

Bundle Of Joy has that great trumpet ballad tune--"A Portrait Of Jenny"--Freddie and harp! But the rest of the album was pretty funny...

I actually saw Freddie live for the first time about the time High Energy came out. George Cables was in the band on electric piano (a quintet), Henry Frankin on bass guitar, I don't recall the tenor player but it wasn't Junior Cook. He didn't use any electronic effects on his trumpet.

I suspect Freddie was having a good time back stage because he made us wait a really long time for the second set, which was late and short, but he played Spirits of Trane, which made the wait worth it.

[Trumpet Guy]

I listened to a side of High Energy recently and rather liked it (this one has Junior Cook on it).

As I recall, Superblue had some merit.

On the other hand, I recall Liquid Love as being beyond hope of redemption.

I have the first two on LP and have never seen a CD of any of these three.

I would rather see Keep Your Soul Together reissued on a (domestic) CD.

Yeah I just bought "High Energy"(on vinyl for $1) and was pleasantly surprised by the excellent playing and tunes.This is another record in that Herbie/ Mwandishi vibe/zone. Freddie even uses the echoplex or something from that time on his trumpet. George Cables plays great!

Yeah I think Superblue is a great recording!

Bundle Of Joy has that great trumpet ballad tune--"A Portrait Of Jenny"--Freddie and harp! But the rest of the album was pretty funny...

I actually saw Freddie live for the first time about the time High Energy came out. George Cables was in the band on electric piano (a quintet), Henry Frankin on bass guitar, I don't recall the tenor player but it wasn't Junior Cook. He didn't use any electronic effects on his trumpet.

I suspect Freddie was having a good time back stage because he made us wait a really long time for the second set, which was late and short, but he played Spirits of Trane, which made the wait worth it.

Ha! I first saw Freddie a little later-like 1980 or so. That band was Hadley Caliman,Billy Childs,Bassist--Kline(?),Carl Burnett. I was hooked!

[Free For All]

Ha! I first saw Freddie a little later-like 1980 or so. That band was Hadley Caliman,Billy Childs,Bassist--Kline(?),Carl Burnett. I was hooked!

Larry Klein. He went on to produce several projects for Joni Mitchell.

[jazzbo]

He went on to MARRY Joni as well.

[Free For All]

He went on to MARRY Joni as well.

Are they still together? For some reason I thought I'd heard that they split up.

[doubleM]

As far as I have heard Larry Klein and Joni Mitchell are kaput, romantically, though they've been playing together (songs) since they split up.

[JSngry]

That Both Sides Now album of standards they did together was very nice, imo. Klein's arrangements recalled Riddle at his very best/deepest (w/just a touch of Jenkins thrown in), and Joni read the lyrics w/o any affectation. Really good stuff.

Of course, it is a vocal album and it does have strings...

[tjluke68]

I copied High Energy and Gleam (the Japanese only 2 LP release) to CD if anyone's interested in a trade. I cleaned them up a bit using Dart Pro and made proper covers.

I'm interested in similar LP-to-CD material (any jazz/big band from 20s-80s)

Thanks,

TL

[DMP]

In addition to all the albums mentioned above, I also recall having one called (something like?) "Skagly." This stuff really has disappeared.

[Eric]

I copied High Energy and Gleam (the Japanese only 2 LP release) to CD if anyone's interested in a trade. I cleaned them up a bit using Dart Pro and made proper covers.

I'm interested in similar LP-to-CD material (any jazz/big band from 20s-80s)

Thanks,

TL

What kind of a session is Gleam? Always wondered about it ...

[david weiss]

I remember about three years ago or so driving to Boston with Freddie for a gig and listening to Super Blue and High Energy to proof the new masters for Sony. Super Blue had three bonus tracks (Super Blue, Theme for Kareem and Take it to the Ozone) that were killing. Super Blue is probably his best all around date for Columbia and kind of an all around great record. High Energy has it moments too. Freddie always loved a Love Connection which I can't seem to muster the same affection for. Gleam I haven't listened to in a while but remember it being a very solid live date. All the Columbia dates have something of merit on them though some certainly more than others. Sony slated Super Blue and High Energy for release but it never happenend. They have been remastered and are ready to go but I don't know if they will ever see the light of day.

[CJ Shearn]

damn, that sucks, it'd be nice if Super Blue made it to CD I've wanted to hear it.

[Kari S]

I have to agree what David Weiss and others said - all the dates indeed have at leats some merit to them, and I've heard all except Skagly and Gleam.

In my opinion, High Energy from '74 is the best all-around date. Great grooves, no cheese, and nice versions of Stevie Wonder's "Black Maybe" and "Too High". I never quite dug Super Blue, though. Well, besides "Take It To The O-Zone", which is incredible. Then I quite like the latin title track on The Love Connection, but the rest of that LP is a pure snoozefest. The same thing with Windjammer from '76 - the title track a great tight little funk piece, but the rest is pretty lame with singers and strings and disco etc. It would be nice to hear Gleam, since it gets such a high score on allmusic.com.

Soul Brother Records in the UK released a 2CD anthology of Freddie, called "66-82 The Soul Jazz Years" or something like that. It had material from late 60's (like Backlash, Soul Experiment, Black Angel) reaching to the 80's albums with Billy Childs.

[DMP]

I think I also slightly prefer "High Energy" to "Blue" - the latter is typical (but well done) post-bop, while "Enery" is a slightly different bag. (It also includes a performance of "Camel Rise," which might be known today from the Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Latin album, reissued a couple years ago.) I also enjoyed "Skagly" - a stripped-down session with long, funk tunes (if I remember correctly).

[tjluke68]

Gleam is a live 2LP that was released in Japan only. I forget what songs are on it as I don't have the LP/CD in front of me, but it's comprised of songs from LPs around that era, plus some older tunes, IIRC.

Anyone else interested in a trade. Anyone have a good copy of SuperBlue that they burned to CD?