R.I.P. Freddie Hubbard

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Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s liquid horn is most remembered for the intro on Art Blakely’s “Moanin” and Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage.” As a teenager in his hometown of Indianapolis he worked with brothers Wes and Monk Montgomery. He moved to New York City in 1958 and had the talent and good luck to work with Quincy Jones, Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Slide Hampton and J.J. Johnson. Miles Davis saw him one night at Birdland playing with John Coltrane had him hired on the spot to record with Blue Note records. In the ’60s he performed and recorded with a range of jazz artists including Oliver Nelson, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter and Bobby Hutcherson. These experiences fed his solo output that included hard bop, post-bop, fusion, avant-garde and soulful jazz styles. His ’70s work gave him the most commercial success of his career. In the ’90s he earned a living from hip-hop artists sampling his work and sometimes having him play live on their recordings.

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