Freddie Hubbard - Sky Dive

Along with Keep Your Soul Together and In Concert (w/Stanley Turrentine), this album was one of Freddie Hubbard's last good albums before he signed to Columbia and started putting out commercial schlock. For starters, just look at the band on this date: George Benson, Hubert Laws, Keith Jarrett, Ron Carter, and Billy Cobham plus the usual extended cast of CTI studio musicians. Few bassists can lay down the funk tastefully like Carter, and his intro on "Povo" will make you say "Good Gracious!" For groove addicts like myself, this and the title track are alone worth the price of the album. There aren't too many surprises on Sky Dive, and it lacks the fire of Hubbard's earlier masterpieces Straight Life and Red Clay, but it's a real treat to hear all these guys coming up with some creative, funky music before things descended into disco hell. By the way, this is also great driving music.

Personnel:
Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Alan Rubin, Marvin Stamm (trumpet, flugelhorn); Wayne Andre, Garnett Brown (trombone); Paul Faulise (bass trombone); Tony Price (tuba); Phil Bodner (piccolo, flute, alto & bass flutes, bass clarinet); Wally Kane (piccolo, bass clarinet); Hubert Laws (flute, alto & bass flutes); George Marge (flute, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet); Romeo Penque (flute, alto flute, clarinet, oboe, English horn); Keith Jarrett (acoustic & electric pianos); George Benson (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Billy Cobham (drums); Ray Barretto, Airto Moreira (percussion).

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on October 4 & 5, 1972.

1. Povo
2. In A Mist
3. Naturally
4. Godfather, The - (from "The Godfather")
5. Sky Dive
6. Naturally - (previously unreleased, alternate take)

Part 1
Part 2