We continue our look at the music of 50 years ago….
The definition of the word “righteous” in jazz parlance means playing in a genuine style or the ability to lay down a groove. You can say both about today’s LP from trumpet player Freddie Hubbard and a few of his friends. Jazz in the early 70’s was going through a sea change as some of the bop guys were dipping a toe in the funk-soul waters that Miles Davis had recently visited. It would eventually lead to a full blown jazz-fusion explosion in the middle of the decade and one of the steps was the LP “Straight Life” released in early 1971. Hubbard is joined on this one by a who’s who of players. Joe Henderson on sax…Herbie Hancock unholsters his electric piano…Ron Carter on double bass…Jack DeJohnette on drums…and George Benson (before he went pop a few years later) on guitar. Hubbard let’s loose and the band jumps in with Henderson doing some great solos. I know that jazz is an acquired taste and bop doesn’t trip everybody’s trigger. Take a taste of some real pros and see what’s it’s all about.
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