1 	Breaking Point 		10:15
2 	Far Away 	 	10:55
3 	Blue Frenzy 	 	6:22
4 	Blue Frenzy 45 take	 	3:15
5 	D Minor Mint 		6:22
6 	Mirrors 		6:04
7 	Mirrors 45 take		3:19		play

Personnel:
Joe Chambers - Drums
Freddie Hubbard - Horn, Trumpet
Eddie Khan - Bass
Ronnie Mathews - Piano
James Spaulding - Flute, Reeds (Multiple), Sax (Alto), Saxophone

Breaking Point was the debut of Freddie Hubbard's first working group after leaving the Jazz Messengers. The quintet is highlighted by the searing alto sax and rich flute of James Spaulding and powerful, musical drumming of Joe Chambers, who also composed "Mirrors". The music stretches the limits of hard bop with innovative, cutting edge compositions and solos. Added to the original album are two alternate takes, originally issued on a 45 single. ---Editorial Reviews

After a brief absence in the Blue Note catalog, it is wonderful to see Freddie Hubbard's "Breaking Point" reissued via the RVG series. Though I have to confess, it would have been nicer so see rarer OOP titles like "Here to Stay" or "Blue Spirits" back in print instead. In fact, "Breaking Point" is the studio album Freddie made in between those two aforementioned titles. This May 7, 1964 session features Hub on trumpet, James Spaulding on alto sax and flute, Ronnie Matthews on piano, Eddie Kahn on bass and Joe Chambers on drums. The four Hubbard original compositions show the trumpeter moving away from his straightforward Messenger grooves to more of an avant-garde/free form style. With that being said, the album's wildest track is the Chambers-penned "Mirrors." The drummer (BTW, making his Blue Note debut here) was an amazing writer and IMO should have been given his own Blue Note session as a leader, though many will argue the second-half of Bobby Hutcherson's "Components" is basically just that. Finally, the disc's two alternate takes are shorter versions of "Blue Frenzy" and "Mirrors," which were paired for 45 single release back in the day. While not Freddie Hubbard's finest session, "Breaking Point" is certainly worth braking for. --- Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA)

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01. Backlash (Pickett) - 4:10
02. The Return Of The Prodigal Son (Ousley) - 5:39
03. Little Sunflower (Hubbard) - 7:52
04. On The Que-Tee (Hubbard) - 5:44
05. Up Jumped Spring (Hubbard) - 6:38
06. Echoes Of Blue (Cunningham) - 9:44

Personnel:
- Freddie Hubbard — trumpet & fluegelhorn
- James Spaulding — flute & alto sax
- Albert Dailey — piano
- Bob Cunningham — bass
- Otis Ray Appleton — drums
- Ray Barretto — percussion

To jazz fans under the age of 30, the name Freddie Hubbard probably won't signify a superstar. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, however, he was the third-best trumpeter in the music (behind Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis). Illness triggered a decline in the 1990s, but, thankfully, there are still numerous reissues that recall his greatness. Backlash, from 1966, finds the former member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in a jazz-R&B hybrid mood with pianist Albert Dailey, drummer Otis Ray Appleton, saxophonist/flutist James Spaulding, and percussionist Ray Barretto. Technically, Hubbard's robust Clifford Brown-influenced chops are in full effect. "On the Que Tee," "Up Jumped Spring," and the title track all reflect the soulful spell of Lee Morgan's hit "Sidewinder." But this date is best remembered for giving the world the first version of Hubbard's lovely jazz standard "Little Sunflower." With the lilting Latin tinges provided by Barretto, Hubbard floats above those rhythms with lyrical ease, reminding us of the majesty of his music. ---Eugene Holley Jr., Editorial Reviews

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1. Red Clay	12:10
2. Delphia	7:23
3. Suite Sioux	8:39
4. The Intrepid Fox	10:44
5. Cold Turkey	10:27
6. Red Clay (Alternate Version)	18:47

Tracks 1 – 5:
Ron Carter – Bass
Herbie Hancock – Piano
Joe Henderson – Saxophone
Lenny White – Drums
Freddie Hubbard – Trumpet

Track 6:
Freddie Hubbard – Trumpet
George Benson – Tenor Saxophone
Stanley Turrentine – Tenor Saxophone
Johnny Hammond – Organ
Ron Carter – Bass
Billy Cobham – Drums
Airto Moreira - Percussion

This may be Freddie Hubbard's finest moment as a leader, in that it embodies and utilizes all of his strengths as a composer, soloist, and frontman. On Red Clay, Hubbard combines hard bop's glorious blues-out past with the soulful innovations of mainstream jazz in the 1960s, and reads them through the chunky groove innovations of '70s jazz fusion. This session places the trumpeter in the company of giants such as tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lenny White. Hubbard's five compositions all come from deep inside blues territory; these shaded notions are grafted onto funky hard bop melodies worthy of Horace Silver's finest tunes, and are layered inside the smoothed-over cadences of shimmering, steaming soul. The 12-minute-plus title track features a 4/4 modal opening and a spare electric piano solo woven through the twin horns of Hubbard and Henderson. It is a fine example of snaky groove music. Henderson even takes his solo outside a bit without ever moving out of the rhythmatist's pocket. "Delphia" begins as a ballad with slow, clipped trumpet lines against a major-key background, and opens onto a midtempo groover, then winds back into the dark, steamy heart of bluesy melodicism. The hands-down favorite here, though, is "The Intrepid Fox," with its Miles-like opening of knotty changes and shifting modes, that are all rooted in bop's muscular architecture. It's White and Hancock who shift the track from underneath with large sevenths and triple-timed drums that land deeply inside the clamoring, ever-present riff. Where Hubbard and Henderson are playing against, as well as with one another, the rhythm section, lifted buoyantly by Carter's bridge-building bassline, carries the melody over until Hancock plays an uncharacteristically angular solo before splitting the groove in two and doubling back with a series of striking arpeggios. This is a classic, hands down. ---Thom Jurek, Rovi

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1. Straight Life	17:29
2. Mr. Clean	13:37
3. Here's The Rainy Day	5:19

* Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet
* Joe Henderson - Tenor Saxophone
* Herbie Hancock - Electric Piano
* Ron Carter - Bass
* Jack DeJohnette - drums
* George Benson – Guitar

Recorded between trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's better-known classics Red Clay and First Light, Straight Life is actually arguably Hubbard's greatest recording. Hubbard, joined by an all-star group that includes tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, guitarist George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Jack DeJohnette, is frequently astounding on "Straight Life" (check out that introduction) and "Mr. Clean," constructing classic solos. The very memorable set is rounded off by the trumpeter's duet with Benson on a lyrical version of the ballad "Here's That Rainy Day." This exciting CD is essential for all serious jazz collections. ---Scott Yanow, Rovi

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1. Body And Soul
2. Carnival (Manha De Carnaval)
3. Chocolate Shake
4. Dedicated To You
5. Clarence's Place		play
6. Aries			play
7. Skylark
8. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
9. Thermo

Personel:
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet
Art Davis, bass
Tommy Flanagan, piano
Curtis Fuller, trombone
John Gilmore, tenor saxophone
Louis Hayes, drums

At age 25, Freddie Hubbard made inroads into modern jazz most trumpeters could not imagine, much less come through with. As a soloist, one of Hubbard's crowning achievements in his early period was this recording on which he teamed with Wayne Shorter, marginally as a performer but prominent in the role of arranger/conductor for his first time ever. Utilizing a septet, 16-piece big band, and orchestra plus stings to play concise, tight tunes, Shorter provides the backdrop to employ Hubbard's bold toned trumpet and all of its devices in a full display of his powerful melodic talents. Yeoman Reggie Workman plays bass on all selections, with drummer Louis Hayes in the seven-piece combo, and great work from Philly Joe Jones in the larger bands. Interestingly enough, the three tracks with the smaller ensemble are the most interesting, due to the presence of Eric Dolphy, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, and Shorter on the front line. "Clarence's Place" is a post-bop jewel with spiky brass accents and Dolphy's ribald and outre alto sax solo contrasting Shorter's relatively reserved tenor, "Dedicated to You" is a wisp of a tune, while "Body & Soul," an atypical choice for the opening selection, is a straight read of the classic ballad with a chart that sounds larger than the small horn section, and a wavering flute via Dolphy.

The big band does an unusual soul-jazz treatment of the Brazilian number "Manha de Carnaval" flavored by Robert Northern's French horn, while "Aries" is a hard bop show stopper with two-note accents buoying Hubbard's great lyrical lines, and goes further into hard bop with "Thermo" as the horns demand attention with the trumpeter as an afterthought. The string section, ten pieces strong, joins the big band on the film noir type Duke Ellington piece "Chocolate Shake," the stock "I Got It Bad," and "Skylark," with its soft clarion intro bubbling underneath with the violins, violas, and cellos. The manner in which this recording is programmed is thoughtful in that it lends to the diversity of the project, but is seamless from track to track. Dan Morgenstern's hefty liner notes also explain the concept behind this ambitious project, one which did not compare to any of Hubbard's other recordings in his career. Therefore it stands alone as one of the most unique productions in his substantive discography, and a quite credible initial go-round for Shorter as an orchestrator. --- Michael G. Nastos, allmusic.com

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1. Homegrown 
2. Bolivia 
3. God Bless The Child 
4. Dear John 
5. Managua 
6. Third Word

    Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
    Vincent Herring – alto saxophone
    Ralph Moore – tenor saxophone
    Cedar Walton – piano
    David Williams – bass
    Billy Higgins – drums

Freddie Hubbard is in decent but not quite prime form on this CD; his tone was starting to decline ever so gradually. His sidemen were quite strong (Ralph Moore on tenor, altoist Vincent Herring, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist David Williams and drummer Billy Higgins), the material is superior (highlighted by "Bolivia," Hubbard's "Dear John" and a few of his recent Latin-flavored originals) and overall the music is satisfying enough to make this a recommended disc to fans of the modern mainstream. --- Scott Yanow, Rovi

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1. Spacetrack (Hubbard) - 16:54
2. Eclipse (Hubbard) - 8:16
3. The Black Angel (Kenny Barron) - 8:15
4. Gittin' Down (Hubbard) - 6:37
5. Coral Keys (Walter Bishop) - 5:20 				play

Personnel:
- Freddie Hubbard - trumpet
- James Spaulding - alto saxophone, flute
- Kenny Barron - piano, electric piano
- Reggie Workman - bass
- Louis Hayes - drums
- Carlos "Patato" Valdes - conga, maracas

Freddie Hubbard released The Black Angel in the same year as the landmark Miles Davis album Bitches Brew. Its obvious Hubbard wanted to appeal to the emerging crossover rock/jazz crowd of the era. The presence of bop, however, still permeated Hubbard's playing, unlike Miles who had long since dropped the form. The opening Hubbard composition "Spacetrack" contains fiery avant garde interplay between Hubbard, James Spaulding on alto and Kenny Barron's electric piano. Thanks to Spaulding and bassist Reggie Workman, much of the playing here maintains intensity. The other Hubbard penned originals, "Gittin Down" is an urgent hard swinging boogaloo and the ballad "Eclipse" features Spaulding on flute and Barron on piano. "Coral Keys" written by Walter Bishop, Jr. and Barron's "Black Angel have a Latin tinge highlighted by Spaulding's soaring flute and the congas of Carlos "Patato" Valdes. An enjoyable session leaving the impression Hubbard was preparing to take a different musical direction. ---Al Campbell, allmusic.com

Sadly Hub has passed on but what a legacy he's left behind. In spite of all the unfortunate press that Freddie Hubbard received about his later records for the Columbia label, the critics have demonstrated once again that the guys they knock on the most are the ones who get the last laugh. Case in point.

Certainly Freddie recorded his most adventurous and interesting material before 1980 but what the hell - that's 20 years of fine music, and this one, "Black Angel", from 1970 is stuck right in the middle of that time zone. Forget about the period cover art; sure this babe is beautiful but so is the music. All 3 of Hub's Atlantic sessions are absolutely pure hard bop/funk jazz and get to the music immediately.

Freddie Hubbard had one of the best tones in jazz. His horn could bark sharp and clear like a clarion. On this session you get lots of that. The sidemen don't get any better either. Kenny Barron (playing some electric), Hub's usual reed player James Spaulding, Reggie Workman bass, and Louis Hayes drums, spell a prime working band to support Freddie.

Of course the song agenda does not disappoint, particularly Walter Bishop Jr's latin-flavoured "Coral Keys", and Hub's 16-minute opener "Spacetrack" (remember this was just a few months after Apollo 11). Freddie Hubbard could play it all, but play it his own way, every time. Jazz has lost a titan. Look out for the music companies to begin releasing the box sets now that Hub is gone, but isn't it always that way. Buy this one; you're going to have it in your player lots.

Four stars only because of the relatively short playing time (45 mins). Weren't there any outtakes? Well maybe not. Freddie nailed it right the first time. --- Curtiss Clarke (Calgary, Alberta Canada)

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01. Caravan (7:33)			play
02. Bob's Place (4:34)
03. Happy Times (10:11)
04. Summertime (10:16)
05. The 7th Day (10:51)

Personnel:

Freddie Hubbard - trumpet
Curtis Fuller - trombone
John Gilmore - tenor sax
Tommy Flanagan - piano
Art Davis - bass
Louis Hayes - drums

Rec.: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, July 2, 1962.

This 1962 effort was Freddie Hubbard's first recording under his own name for Impulse! Fellow Jazz Messenger Curtis Fuller and newcomer John Gilmore color the proceedings with added trombone and tenor saxophone, respectively. These rock-solid post-bop horn players are backed by the formidable rhythm section of Tommy Flanagan on piano, Art Davis on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Hubbard's shimmering style and clear tone show a clear debt to the late Clifford Brown and a nod to the bold sonic curiosity of John Coltrane. These are some hot young players pushing a classic format forward. The opening track is Duke Ellington's intoxicating "Caravan." The horns play the theme loosely above the dark undercurrent of Davis' and Hayes' playing. The piece explodes into a Hubbard solo that shows why he was the most talked-about young trumpeter of that era. The exceptional quality of his tone and range are amply displayed in his Latin-tinged version of the tender Gershwin standard "Summertime." On the closing track, "The 7th Day," Hubbard and his sextet ride a sultry cool jazz groove for all it's worth and build patiently to some bold exchanges, bowing out with a slow fade. ---Rovi

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