Backlash
To jazz fans under the age of 30, the name Freddie Hubbard probably won't signify a superstar. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, however, he was the third-best trumpeter in the music (behindDizzy GillespieandMiles Davis). Illness triggered a decline in the 1990s, but, thankfully, there are still numerous reissues that recall his greatness.Backlash, from 1966, finds the former member ofArt Blakey's Jazz Messengersin a jazz-R&B; hybrid mood with pianist Albert Dailey, drummer Otis Ray Appleton, saxophonist/flutistJames Spaulding, and percussionistRay Barretto. Technically, Hubbard's robustClifford Brown-influenced chops are in full effect. "On the Que Tee," "Up Jumped Spring," and the title track all reflect the soulful spell ofLee Morgan's hit "Sidewinder." But this date is best remembered for giving the world the first version of Hubbard's lovely jazz standard "Little Sunflower." With the lilting Latin tinges provided by Barretto, Hubbard floats above those rhythms with lyrical ease, reminding us of the majesty of his music.--Eugene Holley Jr.