“Red Clay/Straight Life/First Light” by FREDDIE HUBBARD – A Review Of His First 3 LPs For CTI Records (Creed Taylor Inc) In 1970 and 1971 – Now Remastered And Expanded Onto 2CDs By Beat Goes On Records Of The UK (BGO) In July 2014…

Freddie Hubbard is part of my "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters Soul, Funk & Jazz Fusion" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

“…Playing It Straight...” 

- Red Clay/Straight Life/First Light by FREDDIE HUBBARD (2014 2CD Remasters)

Produced by Blue Note’s legendary sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder – Trumpeter FREDDIE HUBBARD saw his first three albums for CTI Records (Creed Taylor Inc) released in 1970 and 1971 – and this superb BGO 2CD reissue does those straight-up Jazz pieces a solid. Here are the details…

UK released July 2014 – Beat Goes On BGOCD 1154 (Barcode 5017261211545) breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (66:54 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 4 are the album “Red Clay” – released June 1970 in the USA on CTI Records CTI 6001

Track 5 is a cover version of John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey” and is a Bonus Track

Track 6 is the first cut on the album “Straight Life” – released March 1971 in the USA on CTI Records CTI 6007

Disc 2 (78:12 minutes):

Tracks 1 and 2 are the remainder of the album “Straight Life””

Tracks 3 to 7 are the album “First Light” – released December 1971 in the USA on CTI Records CTI 6013

Tracks 8 and 9 “Fantasy In D” and “First Light (Alternate)” are Bonus Tracks

For “Red Clay” Hubbard’s band consisted of HERBIE HANCOCK on Piano, JOE HENDERSON on Saxophone, RON CARTER on Bass and LENNY WHITE on Drums. For “Straight Life” - JOE DeJOHNETTE replaced Lenny White on Drums and added GEORGE BENSON on Guitar - while the “First Light” sessions kept the “Straight Up” line-up but also added HUBERT LAWS on Flute as well as a host of other Horn and Vibe players.

The 16-page booklet features liner notes by noted musicologist CHARLES WARRING and new interviews with Lenny White about the harrowing recording session with his Jazz heroes in every corner of the studio (he was only in his early twenties). The outer card wrap also lends these BGO reissues a feeling of class – but truth be told – I really miss the gorgeous artwork of those glossy hard-card gatefold sleeves that caught your eye and made you part with cash. The tiny pictures of them don’t do the aesthetic feel of those original vinyl gems any real justice. Shame that. But as ever with BGO – making up for any shortcomings is the fantastic remastered sound…

As you can imagine the Rudy Van Gelder production values on these contemporary Jazz pieces are immaculate throughout and ANDREW THOMPSON’s 2014 remasters bring this to very much to the fore – each cut is warm, clear as a bell and full of presence. The beautiful “Dolphins” (from “Red Clay”) is presented to us with such delicacy – it’s a joy to the ear. Hubbard also dug his Beatles Solo work – the 10-minute outtake on John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey” is suitably jagged, manic and a brilliant interpretation of an awkward song - while Paul McCartney’s “Ram” centrepiece “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (from 1971) retains the original’s whimsy and pretty melody (nicely mixing in strings with the Trumpet to give a sort of “I Am The Walrus” effect). And the two outtakes from “First Light” are real finds too.

Like so many others Hubbard would go the route of Jazz Fusion on the albums that followed - “Keep Your Soul Together” (1973) and “Polar AC” (1975) – his next phase with the iconic CTI label.

A beautifully done reissue – and despite missing that fab artwork - wholeheartedly recommended…

"Then And Now: The Definitive..." by HERBIE HANCOCK (2008 Universal/Verve CD + DVD Remaster With 2 Previously Unreleased, One Of Which Feats JONI MITCHELL) - A Review by Mark Barry

"…Wiggle Waggle…" 

This November 2008 compilation finally gives an all-eras single-disc "Best Of" to Herbie Hancock - one of America's finest jazz pianists - and long overdue it is too. It features two Previously Unreleased tracks and a rare JONI MITCHELL appearance with other top-name guests like Wayne Shorter, Harvey Mason, Bobby McFerrin, Marcus Miller, Larry Klein and John Scofield. 

Unlike the US CD issue - some of the UK and European copies come as a DELUXE EDITION in a card wrap that has a 3-track DVD (use the catalogue number/barcode provided below to get the right issue). 

Here's a detailed breakdown of "Then And Now: The Definitive..." by HERBIE HANCOCK on Universal/Verve 0602517809710 (Barcode 602517809710) - what track is from what and who played on them (68:45 minutes):

1. Maiden Voyage (from "Maiden Voyage", 1965 LP on Blue Note BST-84195)

2. Cantaloupe Island (from "Empyrean Isles", 1964 LP on Blue Note BST-84175)

[1 and 2 feature Freddie Hubbard on Trumpet, Ron Carter on Bass and Tony Williams on Drums]

3. Wiggle Waggle (from "Fat Albert Rotunda", 1970 LP on Warner Brothers 1834)

4. Chameleon (Edit, 7:35 minutes) (from "Head Hunters" by Head Hunters featuring Herbie Hancock, 1973 LP on Columbia 32731)

[Features Bernie Maupin on Saxophones, Paul Jackson on Bass and Harvey Mason on Drums]

5. St. Louis Blues (from "Gershwin's World", 1998 CD on Verve 557 797-2)

[a W.C. Handy cover version featuring Stevie Wonder on Vocals and Harmonica]

6. Chan's Song (Never Said) (from "'Round Midnight", 1986 LP on Columbia 40464)

[Co-written with Stevie Wonder and featuring Bobby McFerrin on Vocals, Ron Carter on Bass and Tony Williams on drums]

7. River (on "River: The Joni Letters", 2007 CD on Verve 9791)

[Features UK soul singer Corrine Bailey Ray on Vocals with Wayne Shorter on Tenor and Soprano Saxophones. All tracks on the "River..." album are Joni Mitchell cover versions]

8. Don't Explain (from "Possibilities", 2005 on Vector 70013)

[Features Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan on Vocals]

9. All Apologies (from "The New Standard", 1996 CD on Verve 527 715-2)

[Nirvana/Kurt Cobain cover version featuring John Scofield on Electric Sitar]

10. Watermelon Man (as per 4)

[10 features the same musicians as 4, but this track also has John Scofield on Electric Sitar] 

11. Rockit (Live) (from "Future 2 Future", 2002 DVD release, previously unreleased on CD)

BONUS TRACK:

12.  River (Live) (from "Nissan Live Sets On Yahoo! Music" recorded in March 2006, previously unreleased on CD) 

[12 features JONI MITCHELL covering her own song, she sings Lead Vocals. The band is Bob Sheppard on Sax, Lionel Loueke on Guitar, Marcus Miller on bass and Vinnie Colaluta on Drums]

DVD EDITION:

1. Cantaloupe Island [6:32 minutes]

2. River (featuring Joni Mitchell) [8:24 minutes] 

3. Hana (featuring Joni Mitchell and Sonya Kitchell) [5:03 minutes]

Tracks 2 and 3 from "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music" (2008) 

The track choices in some cases are obvious "Maiden Voyage" and "Cantaloupe" - but the clever sequencing and the vocal duets break up the listen from being entirely instrumental. Also despite the songs jumping from decade to decade - the KEVIN REEVES remastered sound on all of them is superb - very clean and muscular. The only slightly superfluous song is a live version of his 1983 hit "Rockit!" rather than the preferred studio version, but that's easily forgotten when you hear what follows it - a lovely and unexpected appearance of Joni's "River" featuring the great lady herself. Although Mitchell's voice has been cracking in these last few years (please stop smoking Joni - you're too valuable to your loved ones to be lost to that crap) - she stills manages a really tender performance. 

Funky and fun one moment ("Wiggle Waggle") then tender and even sad the next ("Don't Explain") - this CD compilation is a blindingly good listen that lasts all the way through to the end. Hopefully "Then & Now" will bring more music lovers to Herbie's four-decade long contribution to both jazz and the mainstream. His brand of Funky Funky can wiggle my waggle any day of the week...(and its dirt-cheap too)…