Customer Reviews

Super Blue

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

 

 

Ever since I bought my 1st CD player in the mid 80's I've been looking for this CD to replace my tired LP. This a fantastic album, it is full of memorable tunes played by a stellar band. The music ranges from beautiful ballads through gospel influenced numbers to hard swinging jazz. Freddie Hubbard is the master of soloing and his playing is a lesson in taste, style, sensitivity and raging power. The band also includes the flautist Hubert Laws who adds special colour and textures to the music. I am not the greatest fan of the drummer Jack DeJohnette but his playing combined with the rest of the brilliant rhythm section (Kenny Baron and the great Ron Carter) is so right; holding back and lightly supporting the gentle material but driving hard the up tempo tunes with a furious energy. Joe Henderson adds great harmonies and terrific solos oh.... and George Benson makes an appearance too!

I usually give bonus alternative takes tracks a miss but even these are worth a go (although the main takes do generally have more energy).
If you want a CD of Freddie Hubbard at his peak with a stunning band get this disc.Put it on and enjoy.............

no question that this was one of the best albums freddie ever recorded.
the title cut is one of the clodest blues ever recorded !
and "to her ladyship" is lush and elegant - freddie's flugelhorn is like soft butter; kenny barron's solo on the rhodes was luscious.....
one of the best records in that decade......

Super Blue was one of the solid songs played by the D.J.'s at W,O.L. radio in Wasington, D.C.. At around noon the format would change from the popular tunes of the time to an album oriented groove that shocked the system (if you were young) or cleansed the soul (if you were grown-up). Lunch time for government workers was a time to shake the hum-drum and gain and grain a sence of "SELF" for an hour or more. This album was a contributing factor toward that end.
It was hip enough yet constrained for anyone who appreciated/enjoyed good music without freting about chord structure or improvisational..blah-blagh blagh. Freddie and company were after the dollars made by the new fans that Miles Davis had created, but in a different way. All in all, there was good music to be enjoyed by all. Thanks guys at (WWWWOOOOLLLLL) for this and other great programing back in the 70's.