Kenny Dorham was always underrated throughout his career, not only as a trumpeter but as a composer. The CD reissue of Whistle Stop features seven of his compositions, none of which have been picked up by any of the “Young Lions” of the ’90s despite their high quality and…

When one thinks of great talent scouts in jazz, the name of Kenny Dorham is often overlooked. However, many top young players benefited from playing in his groups, and for proof one need look no further than the lineup on this 1963 CD reissue: tenor-saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Butch…

Review n/a

This two-LP set, which was released in 1979 as part of United Artists’ Blue Note reissue series, brought back trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s early album Hub Cap, a sextet session with tenor-saxophonist Jimmy Heath, trombonist Julian Priester, and pianist Cedar Walton. Although that session (comprised of four Hubbard compositions, one…

This double CD reissues the two LP volumes titled The Night of the Cookers. Since these performances (four lengthy workouts ranging from 19-24 minutes apiece) were taken from a club date that matched together the trumpets of Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan (along with James Spaulding on alto and…

This CD reissue (which augments the original five-song program with alternate takes of “Blue Frenzy” and “Mirrors,” originally issued on 45) brings back the first recording Hubbard cut with his own working band (as opposed to an all-star studio group). On these selections (particularly the memorable “Breaking Point”), Hubbard…

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard really came into his own during this Blue Note session. He is matched with quite an all-star group (tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Art Davis, and drummer Elvin Jones in addition to Bernard McKinney on euphonium), introduces two of his finest compositions (“Birdlike”…

On Hub Cap, his third effort as a leader, Freddie Hubbard sticks to the tried-and-true hard bop formula, which is something of a mixed blessing. There’s no question that much of this music is enjoyable, but it’s not quite up to the standards of its two predecessors. Part of…

Freddie Hubbard’s first recording as a leader, Open Sesame features the 22-year-old trumpeter in a quintet with tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks, the up-and-coming pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Clifford Jarvis. This set shows that even at this early stage, Hubbard had the potential to be one…

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard teams up on record with James Spaulding (who doubles on alto and flute) for the first time on this excellent set, with the assistance of pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Clifford Jarvis. The quintet performs four of the trumpeter’s originals (including “Lament for…