R.I.P. Freddie Hubbard

In a sad day for jazz fans, trumpeter, Freddie Hubbard passed away this morning in Los Angeles.  He suffered a heart attack in November and passed away in the hospital.  He was 70.  

Never quite as big a name as contemporaries like Miles Davis, Hubbard was nevertheless an important contributor to a variety of jazz styles spanning several decades.  His full, bright tone played centrally on important albums like Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch, John Coltrane’s Olé Coltrane, Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage, and Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz.

In the 1970′s he became a bandleader and recorded several very good soul-jazz albums on CTI, among them Red Clay, and one of my favorite albums of all time, Sky Dive. He slowed down later in his career, but he continued performing into the 2000′s.  

Freddie Hubbard was an extremely talented and influential musician, and even if you are not aware of him, chances are that if you’ve heard many of the most important and commonly played jazz records of the 60′s, you’ve heard him.  I encourage jazz fans to take a look at his catalog, both as a side man, and as a band leader.

Peace to him and his family.

I leave you with one of my favorites:

Obit from his hometown newspaper, the Indianapolis Star.