Freddie Hubbard

With more than 50 solo albums to his credit and countless recording appearances as a sideman, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – born in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 7, 1938 - was one of the most prolific jazz artists of modern times. He began his recording career in 1960 playing with Ornette Coleman, one of the leading exponents of the free jazz movement. From these early beginnings, Freddie Hubbard would record at least one, often two and sometimes three albums per year throughout the 1960s and 70s and into the '80s. During this period his skills as a trumpet player were in constant demand and he would appear alongside artists such as Billy Joel, George Benson, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock on numerous recordings. Freddie Hubbard's fans would claim his heyday was the early 1970s when he recorded albums such as Red Clay (1970), First Light (1970), Straight Life (1970), and Sky Dive (1972). From a jazz afficionado's point of view, these are considered his purest works while his later recordings have been criticized for being too commercial. In 1992, Freddie Hubbard received a crippling blow for a jazz trumpeter when he sustained a serious lip injury which subsequently developed an infection. Although he made a full recovery, many felt some of the magic of his playing had been lost. However, he remained a busy performer throughout the rest of his career and released his final studio album, On the Real Side, in 2007. Freddie Hubbard died on December 29, 2008, at the age of 70. Since his death, his musical legacy has been celebrated by many reissues, compilations and releases such as Music is Here, which features a previously unreleased 1973 live recording taped in Paris, France during his creative heyday.