FREDDIE HUBBARD — Sky Dive (review)

FREDDIE HUBBARD — Sky Dive album cover Album · 1972 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
dreadpirateroberts
Right on the heels of the brilliant ‘First Light’ comes Hubbard’s ‘Sky Dive’ which is a less consistent but still worthwhile addition to his canon, perhaps for the title track and the funk-influenced opener alone. While on the surface it doesn’t stray far from the approach taken on the previous album; Sebesky conducting strings and a horn section, Hubbard both fiery and lyrical and supported by a fine group of CTI regulars like Carter, Benson, Laws, Airto and Cobham, the balance of the songs don’t play together as well this time around.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with the performances (except that I’d liked to have heard more of Jarrett) but the ballad seems to play without aching and the other two cover versions, In a Mist and the theme from The Godfather, suffer a little from what seem to be scattered arrangements, even if the latter has a fantastic ending.

For me most of the joy in this album comes from the title track and Povo – each allow the band to get stuck into the rhythm and provide ample solo space for everyone – Hubbard sounds confident and Carter holds everything together with his bass line as band jam it out. Benson is great as ever and the really the piece’s only weakness might be a vague sense of sameness when compared to the song First Light on Hubbard’s previous release. Sky Dive is another cracker which gives a slight Latin feel to its laid back approach and ends the album very pleasantly.

I hesitate to say for fans only, as this is still great fusion and Hubbard is always a pretty commanding soloist, but for my money ‘First Light’ is the superior example of the fusion he was producing for CTI in the early ‘70s. Still, ‘Sky Dive’ does boast a couple of classics so if a reissue appears, it might be worth collecting anyway.

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

About (or On)First Visit Avant-Garde Jazz
ELLERY ESKELIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Noah Kaplan Quartet : Out Of The Hole Avant-Garde Jazz
NOAH KAPLAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
To Walk On Eggshells Avant-Garde Jazz
RUSS JOHNSON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Snakeoil : Snakeoil Ok Avant-Garde Jazz
TIM BERNE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Poetry of Place (from the exhibit by painter Karen Allen) Jazz Related Improv/Composition
CHRIS DINGMAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio Dream a Dream
SATOKO FUJII
js· 1 day ago
Wojciech Jachna Squad - Ad Astra (Promo Teaser)
WOJCIECH JACHNA
snobb· 4 days ago
Nitty Gritty
RUSS SPIEGEL
js· 4 days ago
Never in a 100.000.000 Dreams
SUPERSISTER
js· 5 days ago
Love is a Fire that Burns Unseen
PETER MADSEN
js· 5 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
Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed