Customer Reviews

Breaking Point

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After a brief absence in the Blue Note catalog, it is wonderful to see Freddie Hubbard's "Breaking Point" reissued via the RVG series. Though I have to confess, it would have been nicer so see rarer OOP titles like "Here to Stay" or "Blue Spirits" back in print instead. In fact, "Breaking Point" is the studio album Freddie made in between those two aforementioned titles. This May 7, 1964 session features Hub on trumpet, James Spaulding on alto sax and flute, Ronnie Matthews on piano, Eddie Kahn on bass and Joe Chambers on drums. The four Hubbard original compositions show the trumpeter moving away from his straightforward Messenger grooves to more of an avant-garde/free form style. With that being said, the album's wildest track is the Chambers-penned "Mirrors." The drummer (BTW, making his Blue Note debut here) was an amazing writer and IMO should have been given his own Blue Note session as a leader, though many will argue the second-half of Bobby Hutcherson's "Components" is basically just that. Finally, the disc's two alternate takes are shorter versions of "Blue Frenzy" and "Mirrors," which were paired for 45 single release back in the day. While not Freddie Hubbard's finest session, "Breaking Point" is certainly worth braking for.

Freddie Hubbard had some of his peak years at Blue Note where he made some excellent albums like "Ready for Freddie", "Hub-tones", "Blue Spirits" and this ringer, the first for his own group featuring a promising drummer, Joe Chambers, who would make his name as a composer also. His Indiana cohort, the under-rated James Spaulding, is on hand to provide Hub the push on tunes like "D-minor Mint", Chambers' classic ballad, "Mirrors", and the title tune, a study in modality plus tinges of Latin/Caribbean soul. This is the same group I saw in San Francisco at the now defunct Both/And and it cooked then--and it does on this record. Though his chops are practically gone nowadays, one should relish this great classic album as one of Hubbards finest, if not the finest!!

All I need to say is it deserves a 5 star average. And if your a Hub fan you should consider getting this. Really.