Trumpeter Hubbard a Jazz Musician of Many Styles

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who opens tonight for a five-night stint at Elario’s in La Jolla, is a gambler. He has played everything from be-bop to free jazz to ‘70s fusion and now a sort of ‘90s take on fusion, with the help of synthesizers.

Like all gamblers, Hubbard doesn’t always come up with aces. He is decidedly ambivalent about “Times Are Changing,” a collaboration with composer and synthesizer wiz Todd Cochran released last year.

“Oh, Oh,” he said by phone from his home in Hollywood Hills when asked about the album. He laughed a little. “I experimented, I tried it and it didn’t work. The music is a little too far away from what I was doing, as far as acoustic versus electric music.

“I don’t think people were ready for it. My normal jazz fans weren’t into it. They aren’t that much into synthesizer.”

Although the album made an appearance on Contemporary Jazz charts and received some radio play on stations Hubbard referred to as “New Age,” it didn’t get much support from Blue Note, Hubbard’s label at the time.

Blue Note executives Bruce Lundvall and Michael Cuscuna had expected an album of more traditional jazz. When Hubbard told them about the synthesizers, they flew to Los Angeles for a listen and gave the project their blessing. Apparently that didn’t translate into adequate marketing.

“I don’t think they followed with promotions like they should have,” Hubbard said.

Now, the trumpeter is little gun shy and in search of a label that will give him better support.

He has toyed with ways of merging rap and funk with his own jazz leanings, but, after the “Times Are Changing” experience, wonders whether another departure from his norm could be successful.

Instead, his next recording will be with singer Betty Carter, hailed by critics as one of the few true jazz vocalists around.

“She’s deeply rooted in that be-bop/scatting thing,” Hubbard said. “I always wanted to record with Sarah Vaughan before she died. Betty will pick up the torch.”

Another project later this year will pair Hubbard with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra for an album of standards.

Commonly thought of as a trumpeter, Hubbard has made some of his best music using the fuller, mellower sound of the fluegelhorn.

“I still play a lot of fluegelhorn, especially on ballads,” Hubbard said. “Lately, I’ve been using a mute a lot with the trumpet.”

Hubbard has long been hoping to match the ‘70s success he attained with “Red Clay,” made for the CTI label, where producer Creed Taylor pioneered the idea of merging jazz with rock and funk.

Artists like Hubbard, saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. and guitarist George Benson enjoyed their first big commercial successes with CTI. The title track from “Red Clay” is still a favorite with Hubbard’s fans.

“Last year, I did a State Department good-will tour of South America: Mexico City, Guatemala, Nicaragua. ‘Red Clay’ was all they wanted to hear. I found out that the music is down there, they knew more about me there than some places in the States.

“I’m looking for another ‘Red Clay.’ I’d like to have another song with that impact that crossed over.”

At 52, Hubbard wants to taper his frenetic traveling schedule, but he is in constant demand, especially in Japan, where American jazz musicians are revered almost like Madonna is stateside.

“They put us on big billboards and television,” Hubbard marveled. He has already played Yokohama and Tokyo this year, and will visit Japan again in August.

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Hubbard began working with local players like the Montgomery brothers (guitarist Wes and bassist Monk) while still in his teens. His first recordings were made with Wes Montgomery in the late ‘50s.

He took a brief flyer into the avant garde in the early ‘60s, teaming with Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane for various projects. In 1961, he replaced trumpeter Lee Morgan in drummer Art Blakey’s hard-charging Jazz Messengers. The big band setting seemed natural for Hubbard’s bright, polished sound, with its signature high trills and honey-smooth runs through the scales.

He recorded several albums as a leader and as a sideman with players like Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Jackie McLean and Dexter Gordon before hitting his big CTI success of the ‘70s.

Sax man Gordon, who died last month, left quite an impression. Hubbard last worked with him on the sound track for the jazz movie “Round Midnight.”

“If you listen to Dexter, you’ll see a lot of young guys came out of him, even John Coltrane and Sonny Stitt. He had a big sound, but he could also articulate fast. He wanted me to work with him because he thought I had a big enough sound to keep up.

“I remember he hit a low B flat on that tenor and it shook the whole studio like one of those boat horns in a harbor. He could play ballads so beautiful, man. You could almost hear the lyrics. He taught me a lot of old standards.” Hubbard began singing “You’ve Changed” over the phone.

As for his own music, Hubbard wants to assemble a steady acoustic jazz group he can grow with. Pianist Benny Greene, drummer Carl Allen, and saxophonists Bob Shepard and Don Brayden are among the musicians he mentions.

New music and new projects are in the works.

“I wrote a thing based on ‘Giant Steps’ for ‘Trane called ‘Dear John.’ Cedar Walton, Billy Higgins and Herbie Lewis, we might do an album of (Thelonious) Monk stuff.” He pounded out some Monkish piano over the phone.

In San Diego, Hubbard will be backed by Shepard, Marshall Hawkins on bass, Sherman Ferguson on drums and Randy Porter on piano.

The material will include several songs from his 1987 “Life Flight” album, possibly a few tunes from “Times Are Changing,” plus standards and other Hubbard originals.