FREDDIE HUBBARD — Outpost (aka Freddie Hubbard -Amiga Jazz) (review)

FREDDIE HUBBARD — Outpost (aka Freddie Hubbard -Amiga Jazz) album cover Album · 1981 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Steve Wyzard
As most Freddie Hubbard fans know, his discography can be divided into two distinct categories: 1) his highly acclaimed pre-1975 recordings, and 2) his far-less-acclaimed post-1975 recordings. What happened in 1975? He signed on with Columbia and released a string of albums that can best be described as soul/funk/disco rather than jazz (and I'm attempting to be diplomatic here). Visit any good used record store and you will find truckloads of these albums carefully filed behind Freddie's name.

Then suddenly, in 1981, he released Outpost, his only album on the Enja label. This recording harks back to his classic sound, almost as if those Columbia albums had never happened. With Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on bass, Al Foster on drums, and a very ECM-ish cover, Freddie declares in no uncertain terms that he is back (even if he never really left).

Outpost opens with "Santa Anna Winds", a brooding yet turbulent Hubbard composition with an exploratory center section that highlights his fiery trumpet tone. The flugelhorn ballad "You don't know what love is" will not make anybody forget his performance of "Here's That Rainy Day" (from 1970's Straight Life) but is still far above the crowd. The straight ahead "Outpost Blues" features Freddie at his swinging best. The uptempo "Dual Force" gives composer Buster Williams a chance to shine on the bass. Eric Dolphy's "Loss" closes the album with Freddie putting his own virtuosic stamp on some challenging material.

And now for the disclaimers: 1) the credits on this album clearly read "Freddie Hubbard: trumpet", but the man is very obviously playing the flugelhorn on both "You don't know what love is" and "Dual Force". 2) piano master Kenny Barron gives a fabulous performance throughout this album, but is sadly buried far too low in the mix. At the same time, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Al Foster are almost too loud, and many times are drowning out Barron's piano work (credit: producer Horst Weber, engineer David Baker). If you can overlook these faults, you should have no problem enjoying this album. With a back-catalog like Freddie's, it's easy to condemn with faint praise, but I can definitely recommend this album even if it's not one of his Blue Note/Atlantic/CTI classics.

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

Silver on Aluminum Hard Bop
ELDAD TARMU
Buy this album from MMA partners
Dave’s Picks Vol. 53 : Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH 10/2/76 Jazz Related Rock
GRATEFUL DEAD
Buy this album from MMA partners
REQUESTS - Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio LIVE vol.1 Post Bop
TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO 山本剛
Buy this album from MMA partners
REQUESTS - Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio LIVE - Vol.2 Post Bop
TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO 山本剛
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mars Williams, Vasco Trilla : Awakening Nature From Her Dream Avant-Garde Jazz
MARS WILLIAMS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

That Dada Strain
PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND
js· 22 hours ago
Kinetic
BLACK FLOWER
js· 2 days ago
Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra feat. Scarlett Johansson - The Best is Yet To Come
JEFF GOLDBLUM
snobb· 3 days ago
I'm Just Say'n
JOE MCPHEE
snobb· 3 days ago
Cymande - Chasing An Empty Dream (Official Visualiser)
CYMANDE
snobb· 3 days 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