FREDDIE HUBBARD — Open Sesame (review)

FREDDIE HUBBARD — Open Sesame album cover Album · 1960 · Hard Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
dreadpirateroberts
'Open Sesame' is one of Hubbard's best Hard Bop sessions and is a great debut.

He's ably supported by sidemen who would later (or already done so) play important roles in performances with Coltrane, Peterson, Sanders, Evans and Sun Ra to name a few. Jarvis in particular is a key part of a solid rhythm section that includes Tyner and Jones, and spends a good deal of time egging the lead voices on with his fills, or keeping things varied while holding the beat, as in the title track and 'Gypsy Blue.'

In typical hard bop fashion, the lead voices go at their solos with gusto and swagger, and Hubbard is sharp. Brooks is too and the band lift around them, roaring through the harder numbers but taking time to slow down for a nice but not breath-taking version of the ballad 'But Beautiful.' They also do famous rhythm and blues hit 'One Mint Julep' though it doesn't come off as engaging as other moments on the album. Nor does the single Hubbard credit, 'Hub's Nub' which is not all that memorable.

All this brings us to a pleasant surprise - from a compositional stand point it could be argued that this is actually Tina Brook's album, as he provides the two better tracks, 'Open Sesame' and 'Gypsy Blue' both of which have distinctive heads and great solos (from everyone.) But when you get right down to it, this is a great hard bop release, regardless of who played or wrote which parts - though it was this one that convinced me to hunt down Brooks' few sessions as a leader.

Great stuff, and a worthy addition, four stars despite a few comparatively low points.
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