Freddie Hubbard, the bold, virtuostic jazz trumpeter whose career was shortened due to an injury to his lip, recently passed away at the age of seventy. Although his first instrument was the mellophone, he expanded his brass horizons with the French horn, tuba and trumpet as a high school student. His teacher at that time was first trumpeter Max Woodbury of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Due to the positive results achieved as a gig performer, he headed to New York City in 1958 and played with Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Slide Hampton, etc. He joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messenger, recorded with the Blue Note company and achieved huge success. In 1964 he joined Max Roach's group and shortly thereafter started his own. He later switched to the CTI label which was known for marketing jazz artistry to the general public. He won a Grammy Award for his album First Light in 1972 and was recognized as a Jazz Master in 2006 by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Although his lip infection in the 1990's affected his embouchure, tone and technique, he performed on fluegelhorn and was a guest artist with the New Jazz Composers Octet.
If you wish to sample his music, please feel free to look for his recordings at the Library.
