js Following leads set by Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis, jazz fusion with a bit (or a lot) of psychedelic production became a trend for a short while with varying degrees of success and/or failure for different artists. Freddie Hubbard’s 1973 release, “Keep Your Soul Together” is not exactly a particularly ‘trippy’ outing, but still there is a subtle touch of that ‘cosmic’ space that was hip at that time. Like Freddie’s career itself, this album is very eclectic ranging from laid back pop to frantic free form flights, all tied together with some spacious reverb and tasteful use of electronic effects.

Side one opens with “Brigitte”, a medium groove laid back ballad that might have you thinking this album is one of Freddie’s more commercial outings, but things pick up more steam after this opener. Side one closes with a lengthy workout on the album’s title track which is soul jazz topped with heated fusion solos and driven with interesting rhythm change-ups and horn arrangements. Side two continues the energy buildup with “Spirits of Trane”, a high speed post bop track played with a free jazz abandon. The album closes with, “Destiny’s Children”, which is classic Miles’ styled angry funk rock with the required screaming horn solo. Is it possible that this one is a slightly sarcastic shot at the dark prince.

With only four tracks for the whole album, one can easily surmise that there is plenty of solo room for the players as each number gets stretched out. All the soloists are good, but none can match Freddie who is in top form throughout and shows why he was/is the best trumpet player of his generation. This isn’t one of Hubbard’s best albums, it lacks a certain consistency in vision, but there is enough good 70s style jams on here to make it worth checking out.

FunkFreak75 Creed Taylor and his production crew are on a roll: showing that they know how to make money (and gain radio airplay) with the new "jazz-rock" instrumental musics--and Freddie Hubbard is open to trying--and his band up to the task!

A1. "Brigitte" (9:07) a song that Freddie would protect and promote in future concerts and albums (absolutely perfected on 1979's Love Connection), that here incorporates Ron Carter's bass as the central focal point of the song--with electric piano, percussion, and, later, drums very much revolving around the bass. Freddie's lead trumpet exists as if standing on top of or outside of the thin and lush bass-cored sonosphere playing beneath him. Still, this is a finely-crafted, beautifully-painted version of a great song. No wonder it became such a standard for him. Nice performances by the bass players as well as George Cables on Fender Rhodes. (18.25/20)

A2. "Keep Your Soul Together" (9:52) on this song Freddie tries to express his own perspective/interpretation/vision for the potential of the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement. The song's instrumental/sound palette is without a doubt reflective of the influence the recent popularity of Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra -2001" and Prelude--both of which came out earlier in they 1973 and which were recorded and produced by the very same production team that Keep Your Soul Together is being produced. I think that the jazz world--and especially the money-conscious record companies like Creed Taylor's unit here--had become quite enamored of the idea of making money--making a living--at creating and promoting the music they loved. The sound Freddie (and engineer Rudy Van Gelder) pulled out of these sessions is, therefore, in my opinion, no mistake. And, since it is a sound that I love, it is no mistake that I really like this song. (18.5/20)

B1. "Spirits Of Trane" (9:07) a fast-cruisin' song that reminds me of the sounds and pacings of some of the songs on MILES DAVIS' landmark Jazz-Fusion albums--particularly Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson. Freddie produces a great, spirited solo in the second and third minutes and is then followed by an equally energetic performance from tenor saxophone player Junior Cook--all the while the rhythm section providing more than enough fuel to keep everyone flowing. But then, at the 4:30 mark there is a slow down and clear out to make way for George Cables to solo on the Fender Rhodes--while the band switches to a cool walking-bass blues motif for a bit, but then switches back to the rapid cruise pace--all while George is soloing over the top! Great stuff! At 6:30 then we hear another clear out so that drummer Ralph Penland can have some spotlight: a nice solo that ends with some rudimentary play before the full band rejoins to finish at the fast-cruisin' speed--but, no! After the band dissintegrates, Freddie continues playing, tout seul, before the band rejoin to pull off a "big finish." (17.5/20)

B2. "Destiny's Children" (10:19) anchored with some cool, laid back R&B bass play and some LENNY WHITE-sounding drum play, the band leader is freed up to explore lots of melody ideas up top (because the bass 'n' drums have such a solid offering down below). The song might even exist without anyone else's contributions but Ralph, Kent, Ron, and Freddie, but George Cables does provide some nice textural "filler" as well as an okay solo in the seventh minute (using some unusual warble effects on his electric piano). This is my favorite song in terms of the playing of the core rhythmatists--especially Ralph Penland. It's also got some nice harmonizing play from Junior Cook's tenor sax in the final few minutes. A great rhythm track like this makes ten minutes fly right by--even when the solos aren't quite mind-blowingly great. (18/20)

Total time: 38:27

Keep Your Soul Together displays Freddie's deepening commitment to the electronic enhancements available at this time (and being explored much more aggressively by other jazz musicians) while not fully or crazily moving into that "psychedelic" world. Drummer Ralph Penland almost seems to be more of a follower than hard-line leader of the rhythm section: his play seems to respond/react to the play of the others more than set the pace and terms--yet he's completely solid. It seems that the basses are the motivators, George Cables the glue that holds them all together, and Freddie the driver up top. I really like the way Freddie has bought into the Jazz-Rock Fusion scene. Four songs, four great contributions to the peaking era of Second Wave J-R Fusion.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion and one of Freddie Hubbard's finest contributions to the new musical movement.