A defining figure in jazz as a trumpet virtuoso and one of the leading trumpeters of all time, Freddie Hubbard recorded The Hub of Hubbard in Germany in 1969, right before the apex of his career and the success of his album First Light, which would eventually earn him a Grammy.
Spanning four tracks, the record permits fans of the world-class musician to peak into a spirited, unrestrained performance. The Hub of Hubbard features Hubbard’s bandmates Eddie Daniels (tenor saxophone), Roland Hanna (piano), Richard Davis (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums). A paragon of this era’s jazz, Hubbard’s trumpet is primarily placed at the forefront, but not without his bandmates also radiating with their respective solos.
Toeing across vibrancy, the album’s first two titles highlight the band’s technical proficiency and high-speed, stylistic playing; while the final two offerings compound into a low-tempo, almost pensive gaze at the instrumentalists. The Hub of Hubbard broadcasts Hubbard’s dynamic trumpet-playing, his evocative hard-bop style and glissandos, at a critical point of his career.