FREDDIE HUBBARD — Red Clay (review)

FREDDIE HUBBARD — Red Clay album cover Album · 1970 · Hard Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
dreadpirateroberts
Hubbard works funk in to his high quality hard bop.

This album of Freddie Hubbard's showcases his exploration of funk, while still holding on to that hard bop sound. Solos are wild and the sidemen both support and egg Hubbard on through the set.

'Red Clay' is a monster of a track (however, it is eclipsed by the live version included with the CD reissue) and deserves its accolades. With an almost swaggering opening from the horns and the perfect beat from Lenny White, the song is a great example of a band and leader feeding off each other. White's drumming becomes increasingly complex as Hubbard begins to solo. He's soon joined by Henderson then Hancock, and toward the end, before the coda, White really lays into his kit.

'Delphia' slows things down next, and we hear some organ and flute mixed into the softer moments, in a song that picks up the mood every few minutes, having an almost blues or soul feel to the track. While 'Suite Sioux' has some wildfire soloing from the horns it isn't one of the stronger tracks and makes way for the messy opening of 'The Intrepid Fox', a track that quickly becomes a race through the next ten minutes, with Henderson and Hubbard lockstep for a while, and White and Carter urging them on as Hancock stabs at the electric piano. It's followed by the Lennon cover, 'Cold Turkey' which doesn't quite work for me, despite energetic efforts all round.

As with most band leaders, when they have enough clout (and sometimes even when they're just starting out) they pull together a great cast of supporting players. Here is no exception, with Hancock, Carter, White and Henderson on board for all songs except for the live take of the title track.

For this version of 'Red Clay', a live bonus track, Cobham replaces White, Turrentine ditto for Henderson and Benson (among others) joins the group for a smoking version of 'Red Clay.' It's harder, wilder and more out of control than the original, and you can really hear the crowd and band getting into it, as they stretch the song out to 18 minutes. The album is worth it for this version of the track alone.

For any one exploring the early moments of funk's incorporation to jazz, this album has much more jazz than funk, but is important in any event. Fans of Hubbard will not miss his frenetic solos here either, four stars, excellent stuff.
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