Customer Reviews

New Colors

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

 

 

The horn arrangements on this album are phenominal. If you are a fan of gil evans' work with miles, you will LOVE these horn lines! The harmonies they use are so beautifully exotic that I teared up listening to them the first time and still get chills. The sound samples dont do justice to the extremely energetic and tight horn arrangements, or to Hub's tone which I think sounds as good (though not as fat) as before his health problems. The best way to describe the feel of this album is "Miles Ahead" except funkier and with an all-star cast of ferocious soloists. BUY IT and hear a jazz album like youve never heard and that will stay in your cd player for many weeks.

I think this is a very enjoyable CD. The songwriting, arrangements, and everybody's playing are great. Even if some of his technical chops from earlier days are missing. I would recommend it.

Maybe I was expecting Freddie's playing to be completely shot due to the recent buzz about his lip being gone, so I was in fact surpirsed at how good Freddie sounds on the disc. His tone sounds just fine.

One thing remains a fact of life: this guy is one of the best composers in jazz and this CD proves he can still compose as good (or better) than he used to. He composes all songs but one.

As far as his solos being "too short." I clocked many of them at over 80 measures (!!!) This is no shorter than past solos he has taken. (How long do people expect him to solo?)

Is Freddie's playing on the level it once was? No. But his past level was beyond compare, so he could deliver 30% of his previous chops and still be kicking it just fine.

Finally, the MUSIC as a whole on this disc is what you should focus on and makes it great. I always listen to music as a whole and this entire disc is excellent.

So, in short, Freddie's chops arent' what they once were, but I still enjoy the playing. His note selection is actually more seasoned and artistic as now he is forced to chooses his notes more carefully. (But, make no mistake, he's also capable of playing fast.)

(This is what I love about comparisons. There's all this talk about Freddie's chops, but a lot of his runs on this CD, with his lip shot, are a whole lot faster and cleaner than Miles Davis was sounding throughout the '80s, and nobody said anything about Miles' chops. Go figure.)

I would DEFINITELY recommend New Colors. Welcome back, Freddie! It's great to be hearing that beautiful sound again!

Hey, this is a terrific jazz album. Freddie Hubbard is who he is - and what he is - today, he's taken a few lumps since 1975 and so have I, and I just really enjoy what he's doing here.

This guy has nothing to prove to anyone, his recorded work speaks for itself, and all I hope is that he continues to write and play his own stuff as opportunities present themselves. Oh by the way, this is quite a good band, too.

...in this great album. I love the songs, the arrangements are awesome. Of his solos, the only one I think is a little short is the Red Clay solo, but it doesn't take away much from the great arrangement of his old classic. Although he isnt as good as he was, hes still quite a player. I definately recommend this CD for any jazz lover.

This is a solid jazz album of Hubbard Standards, played vibrantly by the New Jazz Composers Octet. It is a loving, proper tribute to the music that put Freddie Hubbard on the map. Freddie, however, is so far down in the mix that his presence is minimal on this disc. He has, reportedly, faced lip and stamina problems in later years, and unfortunately this has tarnished his reputation as one of the incredible jazz talents from Indianapolis: Wes Montgomery, the late J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton and Freddie Hubbard (and the list continues). For Hubbard fans, it is good to have just to keep up with Freddie, but I would have to advise new listeners to go back to early Hubbard recordings and hear Freddie at his prime.

I was very excited to hear Freddie's new Cd. Obviously my expectations were low due to his chop problems. The arrangments on his tunes are nice and there are some good solos from the other artists. Freddie, on the other hand, is going through the battle of his life. His solos are brief and are nothing compared to his earlier recordings. I'm a huge Freddy fan. It saddens me to hear the level of his playing. Hopefully he'll be able to turn it around. This Cd is for true Freddy fans who collect all his recordings.

A rare talent ~ Freddie Hubbard mixes it up with brand-new tunes and closing with a Chick Corea classic "INNER SPACE", providing an awesome arrangement by David Weiss.

Hip Bop Records presents this latest from Hubbard ~ "NEW COLORS", eight tracks of "pure jazz" ~ featuring some of todays top jazz people ~ Luis Bonilla, Dwayne Burno, Joe Chambers, Xavier Davis, Kenny Garrett, Craig Handy, Javon Jackson, Chris Karlic, Idris Muhammad, Ted Nash, Myron Walden and David Weiss ~ taking you on a musical journey into the world of jazz.

Of course there are stand outs ~ "BLUE SPIRITS", "INNER SPACE" and "RED CLAY" ~ blending the tonal moods of jazz today, touching on memories of the yesterdays.

Special thanks to the people who contributed to this CD ~ David Weiss (producer) ~ Reynold Da Silva & Yusuf Gandhi (executive producers) ~ Fred Kevorkian (mastering engineer) ~ and Hip Bop Records (Silva Screen) sharing this outstanding display of America's original music ~ JAZZ!

Total Time: 59:39 on 8 Tracks...Hip Bop HIBD 8026...(2001)

I saw Freddie in the fall of 2000. He appeared with the late Stanley Turrentine, in one of Stanley's final gigs. Freddie was in terrible shape, his lip problem rendered him unable to play. I am not sure when this album was recorded. While nothing like the playing of his prime, Freddie puts in a solid effort here despite his limitations.

I was excited about this album when it was released. Freddie Hubbard has been my favorite trumpet player for years, and new material from him seemed to be a god send. I chose not to listen to the people warning me about his serious chop issues, and his bout with cancer. Instead I looked back fondly on his earlier recordings, thinking what it would be like to have another masterpiece in my collection. Unfortunately, I was much too hopeful. While the horn arrangements are absolutely brilliant, Freddie is a shadow of his former self. His tone is weak, and he sounds shakey throughout the range of the horn. He sounds more like a bad Freddie Hubbard impersonator rather than the virtuosic master that he used to be. If he could climb back to the level he was at before his chop disaster, it would be a true benefit to society. Much to my chagrin, this album does not accomplish this feat.