Freddie Hubbard
On Fire: Live From The Blue Morocco
Resonance Records
“On Fire” is a good description of this album. Few live albums capture the excitement of the moment as well as this set. The show was recorded in 1967 at the Blue Morocco in the Bronx. The club owner, Sylvia Robinson, would later found the pioneering hip hop label, Sugar Hill Records.
Hubbard is heard shining as a soloist and also as bandleader, His working band at the time included saxophonist Bennie Maupin, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Freddie Waits. The recorded On Fire: Live From The Blue Morocco (and Hubbard) gives each bandmate a turn in the spotlight, but it’s the chemistry of them playing as an ensemble that really impresses. It’s great hearing the group’s intuitive interplay supporting whomever is in the lead at any given time.
The set opens with an exhilarating version of “Crisis.” Things get a little mellower on “Up Jumped Spring,” with Freddie playing muted trumpet. Herbie Lewis gets an introspective solo on “Echoes of Blue.” The second set opens with an extended take on “Bye Bye Blackbird” that shows the group stretching out. I particularly like Freddie Waits’ drum fills tugging against the flow of the solo, giving a bit of an avant garde flair to the song. Hubbard uses the Gershwin tune “Summertime” as a jumping off point for some spirited improvisation. It’s a standard, but it includes some of the freest riffs of the night. You can feel the electricity in the air.
On Fire: Live From The Blue Morocco brings the excitement of 1967 to your stereo in 2025.
