FREDDIE HUBBARD — Open Sesame (review)

FREDDIE HUBBARD — Open Sesame album cover Album · 1960 · Hard Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
dreadpirateroberts
'Open Sesame' is one of Hubbard's best Hard Bop sessions and is a great debut.

He's ably supported by sidemen who would later (or already done so) play important roles in performances with Coltrane, Peterson, Sanders, Evans and Sun Ra to name a few. Jarvis in particular is a key part of a solid rhythm section that includes Tyner and Jones, and spends a good deal of time egging the lead voices on with his fills, or keeping things varied while holding the beat, as in the title track and 'Gypsy Blue.'

In typical hard bop fashion, the lead voices go at their solos with gusto and swagger, and Hubbard is sharp. Brooks is too and the band lift around them, roaring through the harder numbers but taking time to slow down for a nice but not breath-taking version of the ballad 'But Beautiful.' They also do famous rhythm and blues hit 'One Mint Julep' though it doesn't come off as engaging as other moments on the album. Nor does the single Hubbard credit, 'Hub's Nub' which is not all that memorable.

All this brings us to a pleasant surprise - from a compositional stand point it could be argued that this is actually Tina Brook's album, as he provides the two better tracks, 'Open Sesame' and 'Gypsy Blue' both of which have distinctive heads and great solos (from everyone.) But when you get right down to it, this is a great hard bop release, regardless of who played or wrote which parts - though it was this one that convinced me to hunt down Brooks' few sessions as a leader.

Great stuff, and a worthy addition, four stars despite a few comparatively low points.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

6 Eclectic Fusion
KROKOFANT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Spring In Stockholm Live At Konserthuset, 1959 Cool Jazz
GERRY MULLIGAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple vol.3 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple, Vol.1 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikołaj Trzaska / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple Vol.2 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 1 day ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed