The Quintet’s Personnel
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet, fluegelhorn; Roland Alexander, tenor sax; Kenny Barron, piano; Herbie Lewis, bass; Louis Hayes, drums
Dave recalls...
Trumpet pyrotechnics abounded throughout the evening as Freddie Hubbard utilized all sorts of body language to help get out what he had to say when he desired to say it. There are always going to be listeners who object to any type of extra physical movement or unusual vocal sound on the part of artists who are in the intense process of improvising, but such personal idiosyncrasies are unquestionably an intrinsic part of their playing.
Hubbard was technically searing this night and his ballad performances became more than just a respite from the hard bop originals. There were some truly tender moments in variously chosen well-known standards.
Kenny Barron had the Herculean task of holding everything together structure-wise in a pickup group that obviously wasn’t going to be a permanent working band for the trumpeter. Other than Hubbard, the pianist’s contributions were a focal point and were always beautifully conceived.
Roland Alexander’s virile improvisations got everyone’s attention, and Herbie Lewis reminded me of the strong time sense always maintained by Percy Heath. Louis Hayes never failed to rhythmically ignite the innumerable groups he graces and this occasion proved to be no exception.
These types of small groups that are put together for specific engagements will always expose an initial collective tentativeness. After a warm-up set, though, the sparks usually start to fly, making the result well worth the wait.