Reissue of the Month - "Freddie Hubbard: The Love Connection"

Reissue of the Month
Freddie Hubbard: "The Love Connection" (Wounded Bird) 2009
CD Reissue Date in the USA: June 9, 2009

Recorded in February & March 1979 for Columbia.
Produced by Freddie Hubbard & Claus Ogerman.
All Arrangements (Rhythm, Brass & Strings) by Claus Ogerman, who also conducted the orchestra in all tracks.
Executive Producer: Dr. George Butler.
Featuring: Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Chuck Domanico, Chester Thompson, Rubens Bassini, Jumma Santos, Joe Farrell, Al Jarreau, Chuck Findley, Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young, Steve Madaio, Tom Scott, Dick Hyde, Phil Ranelin, Phil Teele, Ernie Watts, Guy Lumia et al.

Ogerman considers his score for the closing track, "Lazy Afternoon," his personal favorite arrangement ever! Curiously, but not surprisingly -- since he adores that haunting Jerome Moss melody -- Ogerman recorded a new arrangement of the tune on his 2008 album with Danilo Perez, "Across The Crystal Sea," (EmArcy) featuring Cassandra Wilson on an impeccable vocal performance. This track is nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist".
But all the tracks on "The Love Connection" are outstanding, starting by the exciting title tune on which Claus shows his underrated skills as brass arranger (skills that were overshadowed only because of his genius as a string orchestrator; or, like Freddie himself wrote in the back cover, as "the greatest string composer of the century.") There are great solos by Freddie on trumpet and Chick Corea on MiniMoog, propelled by Stanley Clarke on electric bass, Chester Thompson (then a member of Genesis) on drums, and the late Rubens Bassini on congas & tambourine.
"Brigitte", dedicated to his wife, pictured with him in the album cover, had been previously recorded on the CTI LP "Keep Your Soul Together". But this orchestral is far superior, also thanks to Corea's solo on the acoustic piano and the late Chuck Domanico's pulse on the acoustic bass.
Then comes another wondrous orchestration, featuring French horns and strings: Claus' own composition "This Dream". A dream made in heaven, indeed. Hubbard's tone on the flugelhorn is simply glorious and astonishing, making the highly difficult melodic line sound apparently very simple. Maybe his greatest flugel performance ever.
"Little Sunflower" got a lot of airplay in the USA jazz radio stations at the time of the original release in 1979, mostly due to the presence of Al Jarreau, then at the height of his popularity. Al added beautiful lyrics to one of Hubbard's most famous tunes, previously recorded as "Sunflower" on a marvelous self-titled LP recorded by Milt Jackson (with Hubbard as guest soloist) for CTI in 1972, arranged by Don Sebesky, who is also nominated for a Grammy in the same category on which Ogerman was nominated. Both Corea and Bassini shine once again, but Jarreau doesn't scats. And Hubbard sounds superb on the flugel one more time.
Although a Japanese CD reissue had been released in November 2008, this is the first domestic CD release of this underrated gem, thanks to the Wounded Bird label, which licensed it from Sony Music.
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Doug Payne's comments, borrowed from his Sound Insights blog, follow:
http://dougpayne.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Love+Connection%22+%2B+%22CD%22

The Love Connection (1979): Freddie Hubbard must have experienced a great deal of frustration and consternation by this late point in his Columbia career. After five years with the label and repeated bows to acceptance or salability, he hadn't found a hit that met with public favor or a successful formula that rekindled the critics' appreciation of his music. So he teamed with arranger Claus Ogerman, who'd recently provided Hubbard's former CTI-mate George Benson with two huge-selling records for Warner Bros. and another former CTI-mate, Stanley Turrentine, with two of his better post-CTI albums for Fantasy.

Ogerman, who also provided arrangements for Jobim's best CTI records, doesn't seem like the right match for Hubbard. The trumpeter's title track is proof enough. But it does get better. Among the best songs heard here are the ones where Ogerman's magic gets to shine through. Such examples include Hubbard's "Brigitte," written for Hubbard's wife (and widow) and originally featured on Hubbard's 1973 album Keep Your Soul Together, showing off Ogerman's gorgeous string flairs and a lovely piano solo from Chick Corea. Hubbard rises to the occasion here, as he does on "This Dream," Hubbard's duet with strings and muted brass as well as Corea and bassist Stanley Clarke in top supportive form.

The song everyone remembers from this record is Hubbard's lovely "Little Sunflower" (which Hubbard debuted on his 1967 album Backlash), with lyrics and vocals by Al Jarreau. Ignore Jarreau and, even Hubbard to an extent. What Ogerman does here is what he does best. And it gets even better, spectacularly better, on the gorgeous standard "Lazy Afternoon." This is what probably makes the Hubbard-Ogerman connection make the most sense. Both are at the height of their creative and collaborative powers here. Even Ogerman agrees. As he said in his beautiful anthology, Claus Ogerman: The Man Behind The Music (2002), "I say that the slow parts of 'Lazy Afternoon' arranged for Freddie Hubbard are my best work and all I can do as an arranger. This chart and its recording alone was worth my coming to the United States." The more up-tempo part of the track features sensational solos by Hubbard, tenor sax great Joe Farrell and interesting synth lines from Chick Corea. As much as the title track is worth listening to, everything else here is worth hearing too. The Love Connection was also issued on CD in Japan in November 2008.