Song of the Day -November 5, 2026-Freddie Hubbard-"Breaking Point!'- Blue Note -1964-"Mirrors"

 

Freddie Hubbard (photo credit unknown)

For November 5, 2026, my song for the day is my first exposure to the great trumpet player Freddie Hubbard on his 1964 release on Blue Note titled Breaking Point!  Hubbard was joined by Ronnie Mathews on piano, the underrated James Spaulding on alto saxophone and flute, the bassist Eddie Kahn and the recording debut of drummer Joe Chambers.

Breaking Point, as the title boldly exclaims, was a breakout album for Hubbard whose incendiary and high energy playing separated him from fellow trumpets Davis, Morgan, Byrd, Dorham and Mitchell. The music explodes with the title cut and in just over ten flaming minutes the post-bop era was introduced to a kinetic performance of the direction progressive jazz was heading. Hubbard’s trumpet was like a combination of a gatling gun and a flame thrower. Spaulding’s alto was dynamic and challenging, Khan’s bass was set free, and Chambers drum set exploded. There was a lot to process and absorb.  The elastic feel of “Far Away” with its ostinato driven pulse and Spaulding’s airy flute work. The gutsy Blues based “Blue Frenzy” with Hubbard’s mastery of the genre being unabashedly on display and a soulful alto solo by Spaulding. “D Minor Mint” certainly points the music into the post hard bop direction. Hubbard’s solo is powerful, tangy and fluid; Spaulding’s alto saxophone just wails with authority. Mathews’ piano simmers and the rhythm section cooks. The ending piece is perhaps the gentlest of this album’s music and a tremendously moving composition by Joe Chambers foretelling the brilliance of this talented music. Mathews opens with a touchingly sensitive piano intro. The group plays the melody with Spaulding playing flute in counterpoint to Hubbard’s sonorous trumpet and the rhythm section accompanying perfectly in sync. Hubbard’s solo is particularly touching and it’s the first time I hear what becomes one of Hubbard signature licks. Spaulding follows with a superb solo that just makes this song take flight.  Despite all the fire that this record provides it’s the final cut, Joe Chambers’ “Mirrors” that is most memorable to me.