Freddie Hubbard Biography
Freddie Hubbard is one of the greatest and most influential trumpeters of his era. The Indianapolis native played with Wes Montgomery in his hometown while still in his teens, before moving to New York in the late 1950s. There, he worked with such notable figures as Eric Dolphy, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton, J.J. Johnson and Quincy Jones.
Hubbard began recording as a leader in 1960, and the following year began a seminal stint as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During the first half of the ’60s, Hubbard also played on classic albums by Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane. Eric Dolphy, Herbie Hancock, Oliver Nelson and Max Roach. By the time he launched his own quintet in 1966, Hubbard had developed a highly original sound that was wholly his own, having broken away from such early influences as Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan.
Hubbard recorded some of his most highly regarded—and most commercially successful—work after signing with the CTI label in 1970, including such acclaimed albums as Red Clay, Straight Life, Sky Dive and the Grammy-winning First Light. After signing with Columbia Records and releasing a series of commercially oriented albums that distanced him somewhat from his musical roots, he reembraced acoustic jazz with Herbie Hancock’s all-star acoustic quintet V.S.O.P. in 1977.
Hubbard has continued to record to record and perform in the years since, working with the likes of Art Blakey, Ron Carter, George Duke, Benny Golson, Bobby Hutcherson, Elvin Jones and Woody Shaw. In 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts honored Hubbard with its highest jazz honor, the NEA Jazz Masters Award.
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