Jump to content

Hub Songs


Larry Kart

Recommended Posts

https://www.allmusic.com/album/hub-songs-the-music-of-freddie-hubbard-mw0000031683

Had modest expectations, and was I surprised. This 1998 album of Freddie Hubbard pieces -- played by Tim Hagans, Marcus Printup, Javon Jackson, Vincent Herring, Benny Green, Peter Washington, and Kenny Washington -- is quite something. Freddie was the producer, he and board member David Weiss wrote the charts. the late Bob Belden was executive producer. The nature of the date, a semi-tribute to the damaged-lip Hubbard, made me wary, but the music-making is fresh and very intense. Hagans I've long admired (back in the early '80s I enthusiastically reviewed his first album on an obscure Cincinnati-based label), but Printup I'd thought of as just another Young Lion. Wrong -- at least on the evidence here; he's got a brain, chops, and a heart. Kudos as well to Benny Green; he plays his ass off. Engineer is Jim Anderson, also at his best. 

 

 

81vC3B914+L._AC_UL436_.jpg

A sample: On both, Printup has the first tpt. solo, Hagans the second:
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just ordered used copy from Amazon marketplace.  David Weiss is a fabulous arranger - his participation and Larry's recommendation are plenty enough to convince me, especially since I love Hubbard's best work so much.  Thanks, Larry!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had it for 20 years (a group of Young Lions playing a classic songbook - that was a no-brainer to me back then if not now) maybe I should pull it out for a spin. Now where did I file that one .... Hagans, Printup or Hubbard? Printup or Hubbard, I'm betting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Had it for 20 years (a group of Young Lions playing a classic songbook - that was a no-brainer to me back then if not now) maybe I should pull it out for a spin. Now where did I file that one .... Hagans, Printup or Hubbard? Printup or Hubbard, I'm betting.

This looks like one I would file under V for Various Artists. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

Had it for 20 years (a group of Young Lions playing a classic songbook - that was a no-brainer to me back then if not now) maybe I should pull it out for a spin. Now where did I file that one .... Hagans, Printup or Hubbard? Printup or Hubbard, I'm betting.

It's under Printup because I was pretty consistently picking up his BN releases back then.  But I think it will be re-filed with Hubbard discs as I found this one located there, Apparently Javon Jackson was the go-to tenor for this kind of thing. :g  Eddie Henderson, Marcus Belgrave, Wallace Roney but not so much interaction, only one track with more than one trumpeter.

 

hub art.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, JSngry said:

History will be more than kind to those who found ways to keep Freddie busy (i.e. - keep getting paid) when his chops failed.

Are there other Hubbard tribute albums similar to the two mentioned in this thread?  Also, props to David Weiss, who I believe did a LOT for Hubbard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know about albums, but I seem to remember gigs where he led groups but did not actually play, or played very little.

Business is not always this kind. Cuscuna did it with Andrew Hill (and maybe Sam Rivers?), somebody did it for Roy Eldridge (it seemed, he did lecture gigs after he couldn't play). It does happen, people in the business making sure something is there to come in. But it's not the norm, imo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

This same thing happened with Buck Clayton. When he could no longer play, he was hired to do arrangements, and he led a band for a while, in which he did not play.

It's been years but wasn't his inability to play somehow related to an event and not a loss of chops? Was he the one I heard got caught messing with the wrong woman and got his jaw busted for it? If so, I wonder if he kept his band together because he thought maybe he could get back to playing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wasn't there, but it sure seems that there was a core of people at that time/place (NYC/1970s) that really had the back of a lot of those Old Testament Basie-ites. Seems like there was a sense of almost sacred responsibility to keep that thing alive. Keeping Buck Clayton active, writing and fronting a band, that certainly would be in line with that sense of saying "thank you" in deeds as well as words.

Maybe I'm wrong? Still, look at the Countsmen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...