Jazz Review : The Freddie Hubbard Five Minus Four at Union Station

Murphy’s Law was in effect on Sunday afternoon at that unlikeliest of venues, a concert hall at Union Station. A performance by a group listed as the Freddie Hubbard Quintet found four of the advertised musicians missing, most notably Hubbard himself.

The trumpeter, who was briefly hospitalized recently but confirmed his appearance as late as Sunday morning, was taken “violently ill” around show time, according to his manager. His saxophonist, Bob Sheppard, also was a no-show and was not replaced.

Bassist Tony Dumas and drummer Carl Burnett were replaced by subs, John B. Williams and Charles McVacerson Jr. This left pianist John Beasley as the only billed artist to participate. The audience, which had paid $20 to hear Hubbard’s group, was offered a program by what had become the John Beasley Trio.

Fortunately, Beasley is a soloist of singular skill and Williams, best known for his regular work on “The Arsenio Hall Show,” has long been respected for his upright bass work. Long familiar with such Hubbard compositions as “Up Jumped Spring” and “Sky Dive,” the trio mixed them with such standards as “You’re My Everything” and Bud Powell’s “Celia.”