BLP 4056

Freddie Hubbard - Goin' Up

Released - May 1961

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 6, 1960
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; Hank Mobley, tenor sax; McCoy Tyner, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums.

tk.2 Blues For Brenda
tk.9 Karioka
tk.17 Asiatic Raes (aka Lotus Blossom)
tk.19 A Peck A Sec. (aka The Latest)
tk.21 The Changing Scene
tk.24 I Wished I Knew

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Asiatic Raes	Kenny Dorham	06/11/1960
The Changing Scene	Hank Mobley	06/11/1960
Karioka	Kenny Dorham	06/11/1960
Side Two
A Peck a Sec	Hank Mobley	06/11/1960
I Wished I Knew	Bill Smith	06/11/1960
Blues for Brenda	Freddie Hubbard	06/11/1960

Session Photos

Photos: Francis Wolff

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Asiatic Raes	Kenny Dorham	06/11/1960
The Changing Scene	Hank Mobley	06/11/1960
Karioka	Kenny Dorham	06/11/1960
Side Two
A Peck a Sec	Hank Mobley	06/11/1960
I Wished I Knew	Bill Smith	06/11/1960
Blues for Brenda	Freddie Hubbard	06/11/1960

Liner Notes

IN 1960, Freddie Hubbard was an up and coming young trumpeter. Although he hasn’t nearly approached his full potential, it can be said that he is no longer merely “up and coming”. More accurately, Hubbard is “up and going” or, like the many new skyscrapers under construction in New York, going up.

Hubbard is typical of many of the young musicians in jazz today in that he comes extremely well-equipped technically. Unlike many other youngsters, he does not believe that jazz began with his age group. This, no doubt, is one of the reasons he does not misuse his mechanical skills but instead uses them as a means of expression. Stylistically, he shows a debt to Clifford Brown but even at this early stage of his career, Freddie has forged a readily identifiable sound and attack.

Hubbard’s first Blue Note recording, Open Sesame (BLP 4040), met with this reaction from John Tynan of Down Beat: “The trumpeter is emerging soloist of great promise. He plays with a big, strongly assertive tone, mature ideational conception and forth rightness of conviction.”

Open Sesame was done with Tina Brooks, McCoy Tyner, Sam Jones and Clifford Jarvis. Jones is the only member of that group older than 28. On this, Tynan commented, “There’s a youthful virility and expressiveness in this initial album of young Hubbard (22) that speaks well for the future of small-group jazz.”

In Goin’ Up, Freddie is cast with musicians who, while not graybeards, are modern jazz veterans of great experience. They ore Hank Mobley and Philly Joe Jones. On the other hand, Paul Chambers is o youngster but only chronologically speaking. He has been in New York since 1954 and with Miles Davis from 1955. And McCoy Tyner, the “baby” of the supporting troupe, has divided his playing time between The Jazztet and John Coltrane’s quartet since leaving Philadelphia in 1959. “They sure gave me strong support”, says Freddie of his helpers.

Mobley has been familiar to Blue Note listeners since the days of his associations with Art Blakey and Horace Silver. He has come to his own personal maturity after many years at his art. We heard it in his work on Dizzy Reece’s Star Bright (Blue Note 4023) and even more definitely in his own Soul Station (Blue Note 4031). In Goin’ Up, Hank reaffirms his assurance and well integrated style. As Joe Goldberg said of Mobley’s arrival, in the notes to Soul Station, “he worked slowly and carefully, in the manner of a craftsman, building the foundations of a style, taking what he needed to take from whom he needed to take it (everyone does that, the difference between genius and hackwork is the manner in which it is done)...“.

Philly Joe Jones is one of jazz’s great drummers. He combines swing and invention as few others con. Joe has studied drumming from the inside; his knowledge of drummers and their styles goes bock to Sid Catlett and even Baby Dodds. Young drummers who idolize Philly should realize that he did not spring stylistically full-grown and learn a lesson therein. His solos always demand and hold attention. Karioka is a good example.

As indicated before, Paul Chambers is a young veteran. This may sound paradoxical but Paul’s playing never does. He not only provides a powerful pulse but his choice of notes is imaginative, thereby making his value to a soloist a two-pronged inspiration. His own solos, arco or pizzicato, are usually well above average. Listen to his effort on Blues For Brenda.

McCoy Tyner is like Hubbard in that he possesses much technique but does not show off with it. Instead he utilizes it to meet the demands of some of the demonic tempos that occur in today’s jazz. He receives many opportunities along these lines in Coltrane’s group. When the tempo slows for a ballad, however, Tyner is not at a loss either as he demonstrates on I Wished I Knew.

Kenny Dorham is one of he most underappreciated trumpet stylists. Also overlooked is his prowess as a writer. Hubbard requisitioned two arrangements from Dorham and Kenny responded with two typically fine examples of his work.

Asiatic Raes (recorded by Sonny Rollins on Newk’s Time, Blue Note 4001) has also been recorded by composer Dorham as Lotus Blossom. Its constantly fresh melody and interesting harmonic pattern lend themselves to inspired improvisation by all the principals. Chambers has a bowed solo before Hubbard and Jones exchange some highly charged “fours”. Philly is especially effective in the closing portions of the arrangement.

Karioka again proves that Dorham is lyrical even when he is swinging hard. Hubbard’s rhythmic construction of his solo is of a caliber beyond his years. Mobley soars with the ever-energizing Jones and Chambers digging in behind him. Then listen to the way Philly backs the lean, clear Tyner offering. This is quiet strength that prefaces his very masculine solo mentioned before.

The first of two Hank Mobley originals in this set, separates the two Dorham numbers on side A. The Changing Scene is in the minor and placed in a groovy, medium tempo. Mobley’s combination of thought and power abounds in his lead-off solo. Hubbard’s horn literally sings his solo. lt is acknowledged that the saxophone is closest of the instruments to the human voice but here Freddie makes his trumpet sound very vocal.

Mobley’s A Peck A Sec. is a “Rhythm” swinger, dedicated to getting the soloists off and blowing, which is just what it does. Both hornmen are most convincing and Tyner’s right hand facility was never more clearly demonstrated. Jones has a short solo before the close.

I Wished I Knew is a melancholy but beautiful ballad by Billy Smith, a tenor saxophonist friend of Freddie’s. (This is not the same Billy Smith who recorded with Thelonious Monk on Blue Note 1511.) Everyone performs with sensitivity and depth with Hubbard’s sound and delivery again belying his years.

Freddie’s only written contribution to the date is Blues For Brenda, penned for his recent bride. It continues the minor-key trend that most of the material in this album follows. Freddie’s fire is burning brightly and when he passes the torch to Mobley, Hank doesn’t lay it down. Tyner shines and then Chambers spins out one of his gems.

After J. J. Johnson disbanded in 1960, Freddie Hubbard kept busy in a variety of ways. One was participation in the activities at the School of Jazz in Lenox, Massachusetts. Growing out of this were appearances with composer-conductor Ed Summerlin in a series of TV programs for Look Up And Live on CBS. Later he spent some time in the trumpet section of Quincy Jones’ orchestra when that organization returned to America for a Basin Street East debut. Then, there were Hubbard’s recordings for Blue Note. Open Sesame opened the door in 1960. Goin’ Up indicates Freddie’s direction for 1961.

— IRA GITLER

Cover Photo by FRANCIS WOLFF
Cover Design by REID MILES
Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER

Paul Chambers performs by courtesy of Vee-Jay Records, Philly Joe Jones by courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.