Jazz's Freddie Hubbard R.I.P.

[Steve James]

A towering figure in jazz circles, Hubbard played on hundreds of recordings in a career dating to 1958, the year he arrived in New York from his hometown Indianapolis, where he had studied at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music and with the Indianapolis Symphony.

Soon he had hooked up with such jazz legends as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and Coltrane.

"I met Trane at a jam session at Count Basie's in Harlem in 1958," he told the jazz magazine Down Beat in 1995. "He said, `Why don't you come over and let's try and practice a little bit together.' I almost went crazy. I mean, here is a 20-year-old kid practicing with John Coltrane. He helped me out a lot, and we worked several jobs together."

In his earliest recordings, which included "Open Sesame" and "Goin' Up" for Blue Note in 1960, the influence of Davis and others on Hubbard is obvious, Weiss said. But within a couple years he would develop a style all his own, one that would influence generations of musicians, including Wynton Marsalis.

"He influenced all the trumpet players that came after him," Marsalis told The Associated Press earlier this year. "Certainly I listened to him a lot. ... We all listened to him. He has a big sound and a great sense of rhythm and time and really the hallmark of his playing is an exuberance. His playing is exuberant."

Hubbard played on more than 300 recordings, including his own albums and those of scores of other artists. He won his Grammy in 1972 for best jazz performance by a group for the album "First Light."

[dragontigerpalm]

He was a great musician. RIP

[CaliG]

He was a great musician. RIP

A giant.

[CaliG]

Freddie at 24.

[count]

Rest in Peace. A true giant and leader. His spirit was always free. Eye of the Hurricane is definitely on the top 10 list of my all time favorites, mostly for Hubbard's free flowing solos. The song from our wedding march was Dolphin Dance. He will always be alive in heart. Deepest condolences to his family and all who loved him.

[CaliG]

Yeah he's great on Maiden Voyage.

I remember when I started college, I moved to SF. I was in a big city, young and I didn't know anyone, now that's the blues.

I used to listen to that album a lot and Freddie's playing on it really spoke to me.

[Buddy]

Wow, I didn't hear this, thanks Steve. Another giant has left the planet. Another big space unfilled.

[internalenthusiast]

RIP