dreadpirateroberts A classic in Freddie Hubbard's discography.

Creed Taylor's CTI Label got a hard time from jazz purists for being too commercial, and for its role in the development of 'smooth jazz.' In particular the string arrangements of Don Sebesky would come under fire.

In 1971 with 'First Light' however, Sebesky's arrangements are subtle and effective, adding much to the more lyrical numbers especially, but also providing haunting moments on the impressive title track.

As with many of the greatest jazz albums, a fine leader is supported by a great cast of backing musicians, two especially who shine, are DeJohnette on the drums and Benson on guitar. It is a large cast (also including Hubert Laws on flute and Arito Moreira on percussion) and Hubbard is superb with them. In fact, it's wonderful to hear him present a mix of relaxed and energetic soloing across the songs.

Title track 'First Light' itself leads off the album and does so with stylish blend of energy and a laid back groove, with some nice soloing from Hubbard and Benson. Hubbard is at times strident and at times happy to leave space with his phrasing, while Benson is in fine form, playing nimble and employing a smooth tone. The Paul McCartney cover, 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' is reworked into a punchy track with DeJohnette stealing the show a little, and Hubbard blasting away.

For the second side of the record, we have the more romantic numbers, where Hubbard takes on songs like 'Lonely Town' from the musical 'On the Town' or Mancini's film noir-inspired 'Moment to Moment.' Most ably assisted by Sebesky's strings and other arrangements, this half of the album is quite meditative and acts as a soothing balm.

The conviction of the playing throughout is the key to this album, which, at first glance, is quite mellow, but has some fire in the opening two tracks. I imagine Hubbard to have gone in to these sessions and decided that 'I don't need to prove anything to anyone' and gone ahead and made an album he really wanted to make. 'First Light' is known as one of his personal favourites and the album is definitely in my top ten. In fact, Hubbard himself says about the album "I didn't have to play that many notes, I didn't have to rack my brains, and it still came out as a meaningful album. I believe that's one of the reasons people got to it, also, because I put more feeling into that album than any other before."

If you are adverse to strings in jazz, then sample this album first. If you're already fan of Hubbard for either his balladry or his moxy, and don't have this one yet, then go for it. You won't be disappointed, as coming off the funky 'Straight Life,' his solos are hot. Five Stars from me.

FunkFreak75 Recorded by Creed Taylor and Rudy Van Gelder in September of 1971 and released on October 12.

A1. "First Light" (11:00) nice two-chord vamp that take a minute or two to get into full gear. Once it does it becomes a very nice dance tune with some great trumpet play from Freddie. The second soloist to get a turn isn't up until the seventh minute: George Benson. If these two solos are any indication, the musicians on this album seem much more focused and driven to produce amazing music than on Freddie's last album, Straight Life. Both Freddie and George are much more dynamic, aggressive, and "show-offy" than they were on anything on Straight Life while the musicians playing in support seem to have their working orders very clearly charted out for them as they are all working very hard in support with very little flash or flourish shining through the soloists work. (Maybe a little from Jack DeJohnette, Airto, Phil Kraus, and one of the flutists.) Beautiful song! (18.75/20)

A2. "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" (8:12) Paul McCartney's song is taken down to the bare bones and bluesified melodically, Freddie only gives the first verse its due before taking it on his own flight. There is a significant contribution from some uncredited orchestral strings here. The two minute mark results in a significant shift into a blues/R&B-jazzed-up "Admiral Halsey" section. Jack and Ron are even caught trying to funk things up (Jack's more military than you'd probably want) but Ron, George, and electric piano player Richard Wyandis are excellent at funking things up--George even stepping up to play a very aggressive jazz-structured blues solo. At 5:40 everybody cuts out for Ron to show off his groove thang before flutes, Fender, and drums join in to take us to the final minute's return to the stripped down, bare bones opening motif (again, with strings/orchestra). Interesting! And, admittedly, adventurous. (13.5/15)

B1. "Moment To Moment" (5:40) late night bareness on this Henry Mancini-Johnny Mercer composition with vibes, bass, and Fender Rhodes supporting Freddie's plaintive trumpet play. Orchestral support from flutes/winds, harp, horns, and, later, strings. The two-motif sides to the song do not work so well for me. (8.75/10)

B2. "Yesterday's Dreams" (3:55) like a cover of a classic 1960s movie theme, Freddie dons his muter for his trumpet play. Composer Don Sebesky's strings and orchestral enrichment are very heavy on this one, it sounds a lot like the lush music Bob James will soon be making, only still founded in the rich textures and seriousness of the 1960s. Beautiful. (9/10)

B3. "Lonely Town" (6:55) another late night majestic tune that sounds like something from Frank Sinatra's best Ava Gardner Period music (except for the dulcet sounds of the Fender Rhodes). Great support from some masterfully arranged and recorded orchestra instruments. At 2:52 there is a sudden and pronounced shift into a more James Bond soundtrack theme and style, with bass, drums, Fender, and trumpet all stepping up to their microphones and the orchestra being pushed back into the background. Cool! though I do love the lush opening better. (13.375/15) Total time

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of creative and adventurous jazz-rock fusion that is often on the smooth cinematic side (due, perhaps, to the lush orchestral arrangements).

Sean Trane After the brilliant Straight Life album, Hubbard comes back the following year with the over-sweetish First Light album, recorded in Van Gelder’s studios and again released again on Creed Taylor’s CTI label. Among the big names participating to this session, only Carter, DeJohnette and Airto are not CTI-linked, but Freddie is the only star blowing horns, since the rest of the players appear to be in-house musicians (the horns and the ever-present string secton), just like the stars Hubert Laws (flute) and George Benson (guitars).

Opening on the excellent 11-mins title track (the only Hubbard composition of the album), we’re dealing with a soft Rhodes-led JR/F track that lays down the general mood of the album. Up next is the McCartney Uncle Admiral cover track holding some outstanding instrumental moments (sometimes nearing orgasmic in its first half) with its gentle flutes (four at a time) and its nine-men string section. On the flipside, hostilities open on a Mancini reprise, a slow standard thing drenched in over-sweet string arrangements, then suddenly shifts into a funky middle section, but the strings are not willing to let go of their syrupy coating until Benson’s guitar cranks the juices down the decibel alley, but those pesky strings are not letting, even after Laws’ flute solo, to eventually suffocate everyone in the closing section.

The even more syrupy Yesterday’s Dream is a soppy and sappy ballad, but has a funkier second half tagged on to it, but the strings are still over-present. And as you might guess, it’s not in a Bernstein adaptation (Lonely Town) that these same strings are going to take it lighter, but they are careful to let through Carter and Hubbard’s contribution. The piece is the drop that overflows the bucket, with the absurdly and almost sickeningly sweet strings spoiling whatever standard big-band-like jazz is present on the track. The closing Fantasy piece does correct the trajectory somewhat, but it’s way too late to save the album as a whole.

If the album’s a-side is particularly fine JR/F, the flipside is so overflooded with insufferable string arrangements that this album could get a Third Stream label tagged on to it. If FL held two A-side, it might have been a better album than Straight Life or Liquid Love, but let’s face it, the harm is done and I can’t think of a better expression than half-baked effort.