Freddie Hubbard
Without A Song: Live In Europe 1969
Blue Note Records
By George W. Harris

If you saw the late trumpeter legend Freddie Hubbard’s recent concert tour, or listened to his last couple of recordings before his demise, you may have forgotten what a force of nature that he once was. This release of unreleased material from December 1969 will restore your admiration for this jazz icon. To put this gig in perspective, it was on the throes of his dynamic release “The Hub of Hubbard,” and the material includes a good share of stuff on that album. The touring band is a dream: Roland Hanna/p, Ron Carter/b and Louis Hayes/dr, and they are as free and open as you’d expect from the era-think Maiden Voyage post bop.

Performing in England about one month before his classic “Red Clay” recording, the Freddie Hubbard you have here is, well, FREDDIE HUBBARD. He burns like a Roman Candle on the title track and his own “Space Track”. Likewise, he glows like a full moon on “Things We Did Last Summer” and “Body and Soul.” Everybody gets some time in the spotlight, with Hanna’s solo on “Night In Tunisia” a real corker. Hayes snaps and crackles during “Space Track” and Carter is his usual elegant self. Inspiring music throughout; he was the standard by which everyone was measured during this period. Grab this one and see what a real trumpeter sounds like.