Freddie Hubbard’s 1963 LP The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard is set to be reissued as part of Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series on July 24.
Recorded on July 2, 1962, at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio and released in 1963 on Impulse! Records, The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard captures the trumpeter at one of the most exciting times of his career, showcasing his versatility along an all-star ensemble of Art Davis, Curtis Fuller, John Gilmore, Louis Hayes, and Tommy Flanagan.
The album, which was produced by Bob Thiele, blends originals and classics. These include Hubbard’s compositions like “The 7th Day,” in addition to a version of the Ellington-Tizol classic “Caravan.”
Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging. The album was mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes. Additionally, the release is presented via high-quality Stoughton Printing gatefold tip-on jackets. Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series is supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds.
In The House that Trane Built, Ashley Kahn’s 2006 book about Impulse! Records, Hubbard reflected on the outstanding group of players he assembled for The Artistry. He explained, “I felt as though I had the guys that I finally wanted. I had [drummer] Louis Hayes, who’s my man; I had [pianist] Tommy Flanagan, and I had [tenor saxophonist] John Gilmore.
In the book, Hubbard also explained his reasoning for titling the album The Artistry. He said, “[Bob Thiele] called it The Artistry because of the writing…on The Artistry I felt as though these arrangements really sounded like me.”
