First Light

Freddie Hubbard | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 1, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sbme Special Mkts.
• ASIN: B0012GN48G
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,868 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. First Light

2. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

3. Moment to Moment

4. Yesterday's Dreams

5. Lonely Town [From On the Town]

6. Fantasy in D [*]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Light is truly first, September 12, 2005

By 

Chris Speaks "15 Scorpios" (Winston-Salem, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First Light (Audio CD)

A basic principle of marketing and advertising states that if you have a great product, chances are it'll sell itself. This principle also applies to the world of jazz - and Freddie Hubbard exploits his product with such passion and zeal that the man needs nothing more than his trumpet and a group of skilled sidemen to offer a sound that could fill thousands of billboards.
I've been a devoted listener to Hubbard's work, both collecting and indulging myself in all of his projects, ranging from his tenure has a sideman with Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, and Hank Mobley as well as all of his material as group leader, and, at times, Hubbard comes close to displacing Miles Davis as my all-time favorite trumpeter.

When I first heard this album, it was not hard to displace the legendary Miles Davis and rank Freddie Hubbard as the greatest trumpet player in jazz.

The liner notes tell the rest of the story - about how, even in 1971, Hubbard was on the verge of nationally displacing Miles Davis as the #1 jazz trumpeter because Miles was venturing too deeply into the impressionistic virtuosities of jazz-rock fusion and was simply keeping afloat by reputation alone. But when it came to pure, unadulterated talent: Hubbard was the man who could play the trumpet like no one else.

Many of Hubbard's earlier albums are some of the best jazz records I've ever listened to, and much of his sideman work is surely something to brag on, but by the time this album was recorded, Hubbard infused this album with something that no other album contains: communication. From the very first note to the very last, it is impossible to turn your attention away from the music because each note is like a word in an intimate conversation - and each word is part of a wonderful story.

For instance, on the opening title track, the listener is immediately transported to a remote location at sunrise, and as the sun continues to rise with each note, the location becomes less and less remote until it becomes an entire metropolis booming with activity due to the break of day. Hubbard does an extraordinary job transforming Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town" into an expressionistic masterwork of his own while at the same time giving new life to a freshly released "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul and Linda McCartney. By the end of the final track, "Fantasy in D," which lives up to the fantastic qualities of its name, you will want to listen to the whole thing again and again and again. These songs are not the typical jazz interpretations of pop songs and showtunes: these are pop songs and showtunes which, because of Hubbard's great product, become jazz standards.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It may be Freddie's favorite recording, but it's not his best, February 28, 2006

By 

Zachary Dinges "full time listener" (Lawrence, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Light (Audio CD)

Freddie Hubbard has claimed this is his favorite recording, and it may very well be so, but it is far from his best work. It lacks the dexterity and freshness of his early work with Herbie Hancock (think Maiden Voyage, et al) and solo efforts such as Hubtones, and it lacks the raw originality and groove of his later (relatively speaking) recordings, such as Red Clay and Straight Life; that being said, I can see why the artist would be fond of this particular suite, for it's lush textures, beautiful melodies, and easy breezy feelings it's grooves produce, and also the great Freddie solos. It is a top-notch work, especially if one is a fan of the heavy production CTI engineers commonly used, and this recording is no exception. If adding strings to jazz conjures memories of long elevator rides or grocery store trips, stay away from this album. If solid arranging and soloing trumps a faint cheese smell for you, then buy away.

Zach

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LUSH GRAMMY-WINNING JAZZ, December 12, 2006

By 

Beverly Praiswater - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First Light (Audio CD)

Freddie Hubbard was one of the most prolific jazz trumpeters in the business. He played a hot and sassy horn! When he was teamed up with George Benson, Eric Gale, Herbie Hancock, and Ron Carter (just to name a few) on this one of many Creed Taylor-produced collaborations, he most deservedly won the Grammy!

The opening title song "First Light" has an ethereal beginning with a diverse arrangement. An unusual arrangement of Paul McCartney's "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is most satisfying. Henry Mancini's "Moment To Moment" has a hauntingly sweet sound. "Lonely Town" is darkly complex.

There are many sides and moods to each of the songs within this original work. With stylish jazzy rhythms and rich orchestrations, this is THE Freddie Hubbard album to have!