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Never one to take lyricism for granted, trumpeter and composer Freddie Hubbard entered Creed Taylor's studio for the third time in 1971 with the express purpose of making a record radically different from anything he'd cut before; he was looking for it to use electricity and to be out of the soul-jazz mold, but was also more ambitious and wanted to push that envelope and himself. Taylor and Hubbard assembled a band that included Herbie Hancock on Rhodes, guitarists Eric Gale and George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Airto Moreira on percussion, and Richard Wyands on acoustic piano to back him. The band was also supported by the truly ethereal and adventurous string arrangements of Don Sebesky (a first for Hubbard). The result is a masterpiece of textured sound, gorgeously far-flung charts, sweet, tight grooves, a subtle mystic feel, and some of Hubbard's most exciting playing ever. The title track and Hubbard's ingenious read of Paul and Linda McCartney's "Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey," as well as Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town," are so in the pocket that they bleed soul. Benson's uncharacteristically edgy guitar playing juxtaposed against Hubbard's warm tone, and Hancock's beautifully modal Rhodes lines that are drenched with big, open, minor chord voicings, are simply made more illustrious and graceful by Sebesky's strings. While Red Clay and Straight Life are both fine albums, First Light is the one that connects on all levels -- and it did with the jazz-buying public as well. A masterpiece.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
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David Nadien, Violin - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Harold Kohon, Violin - Joe Malin, Violin - Don Sebesky, Arranger - Irving Spice, Violin - Emanuel Green, Violin - Margaret Ross, Harp - Ray Alonge, French Horn - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer - Richard Wyands, Piano - Freddie Hubbard, Performer - Freddie Hubbard, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard, Composer - Freddie Hubbard, Lyricist - Tom Ruff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Tosha Samaroff, Violin - Gene Orloff, Violin - Romeo Penque, Clarinet - Romeo Penque, Flute - Romeo Penque, Oboe - Romeo Penque, English Horn - James Buffington, French Horn - Jane Taylor, Bassoon - Paul Gershman, Violin - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Hubert Laws, Flute - Matthew Raimondi, Violin - Ron Carter, Bass - Larry Keyes, Mastering Engineer - Larry Keyes, Engineer - Wally Kane, Flute - Wally Kane, Bassoon - George Benson, Guitar - Rene Arsenault, Assistant Producer - Dale Oehler, Producer - George Marge, Flute - George Marge, Clarinet
Originally Released 1972 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
David Nadien, Violin - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Harold Kohon, Violin - Joe Malin, Violin - Don Sebesky, Arranger - Irving Spice, Violin - Mccartney, Composer - Mccartney, Lyricist - Emanuel Green, Violin - Margaret Ross, Harp - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer - Ray Alonge, French Horn - Richard Wyands, Piano - Freddie Hubbard, Performer - Freddie Hubbard, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet - Tom Ruff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Tosha Samaroff, Violin - Gene Orloff, Violin - Romeo Penque, Flute - Romeo Penque, Clarinet - Romeo Penque, Oboe - Romeo Penque, English Horn - James Buffington, French Horn - Jane Taylor, Bassoon - Paul Gershman, Violin - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Hubert Laws, Flute - Ron Carter, Bass - Matthew Raimondi, Violin - Larry Keyes, Engineer - Larry Keyes, Mastering Engineer - Wally Kane, Flute - Wally Kane, Bassoon - Rene Arsenault, Assistant Producer - George Benson, Guitar - Dale Oehler, Producer - George Marge, Flute - George Marge, Clarinet
Originally Released 1971 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
David Nadien, Violin - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Harold Kohon, Violin - Joe Malin, Violin - Don Sebesky, Arranger - Irving Spice, Violin - Emanuel Green, Violin - Margaret Ross, Harp - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer - Ray Alonge, French Horn - Richard Wyands, Piano - Freddie Hubbard, Performer - Freddie Hubbard, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet - H. Mancini, Composer - H. Mancini, Lyricist - Tom Ruff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Tosha Samaroff, Violin - Gene Orloff, Violin - Romeo Penque, Flute - Romeo Penque, Clarinet - Romeo Penque, Oboe - Romeo Penque, English Horn - James Buffington, French Horn - Jane Taylor, Bassoon - Paul Gershman, Violin - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Hubert Laws, Flute - Ron Carter, Bass - Matthew Raimondi, Violin - Larry Keyes, Engineer - Larry Keyes, Mastering Engineer - J. Mercer, Composer - J. Mercer, Lyricist - Wally Kane, Flute - Wally Kane, Bassoon - Rene Arsenault, Assistant Producer - George Benson, Guitar - Dale Oehler, Producer - George Marge, Flute - George Marge, Clarinet
(P) 1975 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
David Nadien, Violin - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Harold Kohon, Violin - N. Martin, Composer - N. Martin, Lyricist - Joe Malin, Violin - Don Sebesky, Arranger - Don Sebesky, Composer - Don Sebesky, Lyricist - Irving Spice, Violin - Emanuel Green, Violin - Margaret Ross, Harp - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer - Ray Alonge, French Horn - Richard Wyands, Piano - Freddie Hubbard, Performer - Freddie Hubbard, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet - Tom Ruff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Tosha Samaroff, Violin - Gene Orloff, Violin - Romeo Penque, Flute - Romeo Penque, Clarinet - Romeo Penque, Oboe - Romeo Penque, English Horn - James Buffington, French Horn - Jane Taylor, Bassoon - Paul Gershman, Violin - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Hubert Laws, Flute - Ron Carter, Bass - Matthew Raimondi, Violin - Larry Keyes, Engineer - Larry Keyes, Mastering Engineer - Wally Kane, Flute - Wally Kane, Bassoon - Rene Arsenault, Assistant Producer - George Benson, Guitar - Dale Oehler, Producer - George Marge, Flute - George Marge, Clarinet
Originally Released 1971 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
David Nadien, Violin - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Harold Kohon, Violin - Joe Malin, Violin - Don Sebesky, Arranger - Irving Spice, Violin - Betty Comden, Composer - Betty Comden, Lyricist - Emanuel Green, Violin - Margaret Ross, Harp - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer - Ray Alonge, French Horn - Richard Wyands, Piano - Freddie Hubbard, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard, Performer - Tom Ruff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Tosha Samaroff, Violin - Gene Orloff, Violin - Romeo Penque, Flute - Romeo Penque, Clarinet - Romeo Penque, Oboe - Romeo Penque, English Horn - James Buffington, French Horn - Jane Taylor, Bassoon - Paul Gershman, Violin - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Hubert Laws, Flute - Ron Carter, Bass - Matthew Raimondi, Violin - Larry Keyes, Engineer - Larry Keyes, Mastering Engineer - Wally Kane, Flute - Wally Kane, Bassoon - Rene Arsenault, Assistant Producer - George Benson, Guitar - Dale Oehler, Producer - Adolph Green, Composer - Adolph Green, Lyricist - L. Bernstein, Composer - L. Bernstein, Lyricist - George Marge, Flute - George Marge, Clarinet
Originally Released 1971 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
David Nadien, Violin - Airto Moreira, Percussion - Jack DeJohnette, Drums - Harold Kohon, Violin - Joe Malin, Violin - Don Sebesky, Arranger - Irving Spice, Violin - Emanuel Green, Violin - Margaret Ross, Harp - Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer - Ray Alonge, French Horn - C. WALTON, Composer - C. WALTON, Lyricist - Richard Wyands, Piano - Freddie Hubbard, Performer - Freddie Hubbard, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet - Tom Ruff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Tosha Samaroff, Violin - Gene Orloff, Violin - Romeo Penque, Flute - Romeo Penque, Clarinet - Romeo Penque, Oboe - Romeo Penque, English Horn - James Buffington, French Horn - Jane Taylor, Bassoon - Paul Gershman, Violin - Patti Matheny, A&R Coordinator - Hubert Laws, Flute - Ron Carter, Bass - Matthew Raimondi, Violin - Larry Keyes, Engineer - Larry Keyes, Mastering Engineer - Wally Kane, Flute - Wally Kane, Bassoon - Rene Arsenault, Assistant Producer - George Benson, Guitar - Dale Oehler, Producer - George Marge, Flute - George Marge, Clarinet
Originally released 1971. All rights reserved by Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Never one to take lyricism for granted, trumpeter and composer Freddie Hubbard entered Creed Taylor's studio for the third time in 1971 with the express purpose of making a record radically different from anything he'd cut before; he was looking for it to use electricity and to be out of the soul-jazz mold, but was also more ambitious and wanted to push that envelope and himself. Taylor and Hubbard assembled a band that included Herbie Hancock on Rhodes, guitarists Eric Gale and George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Airto Moreira on percussion, and Richard Wyands on acoustic piano to back him. The band was also supported by the truly ethereal and adventurous string arrangements of Don Sebesky (a first for Hubbard). The result is a masterpiece of textured sound, gorgeously far-flung charts, sweet, tight grooves, a subtle mystic feel, and some of Hubbard's most exciting playing ever. The title track and Hubbard's ingenious read of Paul and Linda McCartney's "Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey," as well as Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town," are so in the pocket that they bleed soul. Benson's uncharacteristically edgy guitar playing juxtaposed against Hubbard's warm tone, and Hancock's beautifully modal Rhodes lines that are drenched with big, open, minor chord voicings, are simply made more illustrious and graceful by Sebesky's strings. While Red Clay and Straight Life are both fine albums, First Light is the one that connects on all levels -- and it did with the jazz-buying public as well. A masterpiece.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 6 track(s)
- Total length: 00:42:52
- Main artists: Freddie Hubbard
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: CTI
- Genre: Jazz
Originally Released 1971 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
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