Freddie Hubbard
First Light
Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet,
Flugelhorn
Jack DeJohnette, Drums
Ron Carter, Bass
Richard Wyands, Piano
George Benson, Guitar
Airto Moreira, Percussion
Phil Kraus, Vibes
Wally Kane, Flute, Bassoon
Hubert Laws, Flute
George Marge, Flute, Clarinet
Romeo Penque, Flute, English horn/oboe, Clarinet
Jane Taylor, Bassoon
Ray Alonge, French Horn
James Buffington, French Horn
Margaret Ross, Harp
David Nadien, Violin
Paul Gershman, Violin
Emanuel Green, Violin
Harold Kohon, Violin
Joe Malin, Violin
Gene Orloff, Violin
Matthew Raimondi, Violin
Tosha Samaroff, Violin
Irving Spice, Violin
Awarded GRAMMY BEST JAZZ PERFORMANCE BY A GROUP "FIRST LIGHT" 1972
Arranged and Conducted
by
Don Sebesky
Produced by 
Recorded at
Van Gelder Studios
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Rudy Van Gelder, Engineer
Recorded September 14-16, 1971
Catalog Number:
ZK 40687
Format: CD
Release Date: 1987
Label: CTI |
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This
is my favorite Freddie Hubbard album. I have also heard that Freddie considers
this his favorite album that he recorded. He sounds superb and the orchestrations
and choice of material is fantastic. "Lonely Town" is really great. Nice
arranging by Don Sebesky. Keith Jarret plays some memorable Fender Rhodes
piano solos.
– tpt1
First Light – Still Great 30 Years Later
Recorded in September 1971, this still sounds well-engineered.
The music was arranged by Don Sebesky, and he, Hubbard and the best New
York session people create a special kind of emotional tone. "Moment to
Moment" and "Lonely Town" are my favorites – sad at times but never maudlin.
Lovely brass, woodwinds and cello are especially good. But it is the care
and feeling of the players that makes this album endure.
– Bill Sladen
Blankets of Groove, Soul, and Clouds – Jazz Masters at Their Best
I started getting into jazz a few years ago, and I went up to this guy I
knew,... a trumpet player who won all sorts of awards but you'd never know
by talking to him. I told him "I want to learn jazz." Well, he being a veteran
musician, knew better than I how vast the jazz world is, so he had me narrow
it down to the type of sound I like. "Well, I like funk, I like Latin stuff,
lots of layers, but nothing crazy like rapid-fire chord changes and nonsensical
melodies. But a bit off the mark just the same." So he made me a small list
to start with, consisting of Freddie Hubbard's Sky Dive, Red Clay, and to
top it, First Light.
The first tune, "First Light," is a Latin-based groove that's pretty much
a one-chord deal for the entire 11 minutes. But leave it up to Hubbard to
keep it exciting just the same. God, his trumpet soars, so clean and bright.
And when Benson takes his turn, he absolutely smokes. And the vibes glaze
it over with dreaminess while the strings lull into the air. The flute also
has a lovely habit of gliding in and out at the perfect moments.
The second number, an instrumental take on the Beatles' "Uncle Albert/Admiral
Halsey" starts off on the slow classical side, and then hits on to high
gear and climbs to a hard-hitting funk that's gotta make you stomp. Benson
smokes yet again on this track, along with a cutting flute solo to wrap
things up, courtesy of Hubert Laws in his prime (well, like everyone else).
There are four more tunes on the CD... my favorite after the first two is
the last one, entitled "Fantasy in D." It whisks me away every time. I hate
to answer the "Great Music to Play While" option because there's such a
variety of moods here...
If you want Freddie Hubbard at the pinnacle of his career, on the album
that he said himself was his favorite, and/or if you want a fusion milestone
that will keep coming back to your player, get this CD.
Oh, did I mention that all the tunes are recorded in one take in full? Yep.
If someone solos after Freddie and messes up, the group has to do the entire
song over, which means the bandleader won't be too happy. Not that these
guys would make a mistake anyway. Naw, when recording time comes around,
the gurus just express that magic that's pulsed through them for years.
They make it look so easy.
– AdamJazz
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Freddie Hubbard
Creed & Freddie
Don Sebesky
Photos by Chuck Stewart
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