The best Freddie Hubbard!
earl rlabaci | 02/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Open Sesame" is, without a doubt, Hubbards best work for bluenote. His tone is clear and he gets the fullest sound out of his instrument. If there ever was a straight ahead Hardbop album recorded, this is it. The way Hubbard picked his sidemen, you can tell that he knew what he was doing, for example there is Tina Brooks with the sharp puncturing sound, McCoy Tyner with the swift technical fluidity, Sam Jones with the big beautiful sound, and Clifford jarvis with hard penetrating drive. Sometimes it seems that the sidemen are overshadowed by their brilliant leader yet they get their fair share too. The title track, which alternates between latin-samba and swing, has a catchy melody and has incredible solos from Freddie an Brooks. The real cooker, though, is the fiery version of the standard "All or nothing at all". Harold "Tina" Brooks was another unsung bluenote genius who lived much to short to gain any real recognition. Though this session belongs to Hubbard, without Brooks, Tyner, Jones, and Jarvis, it wouldn't be half as good as it is. "Open Sesame" is a killer session. Any fan of jazz should have this one."
Hub's First Lead Role
Jack Baker | LeRoy,IL | 03/12/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Open Sesame is Freddie Hubbard's standout debut as a leader on Blue Note. Enlisting the help of the underrated Tina Brooks on tenor (who wrote "Open Sesame", "But Beautiful", and "Gypsy Blue"), as well as McCoy Tyner on piano, Clifford Jarvis on drums, and Sam Jones on bass. Freddie sounds amazing here, especially considering this was his first session assuming the leadership mantle. Brooks is fabulous as well and his three compositions shape the overall flavor of the album. "Open Sesame" and "Gypsy Blue" have some Eastern tinges and "But Beautiful" is an elegant ballad. "All or Nothing at All" is a fast paced version of the standard. The group turns in a funky performance of "One Mint Julep" before turning to Freddie's one contribution, the swinging "Hub's Nub", offering a brief glimpse at Hubbard's future contributions to the jazz lexicon. The RVG edition includes alternate takes of "Gypsy Blue" and "Open Sesame". This is a great album, well worth checking out."