Black music lost one of its greatest trumpeters yesterday. The legendary Freddie Hubbard died in Sherman Oaks, Calif. of heart failure. He was 70.

His half-century-long career epitomized the triumphs and tribulations of playing the trumpet, arguably the most demanding instrument associated with jazz. When his prowess was at its peak, Hubbard’s improvisations took on the heroic virtuosity of a prized boxer. Flurries of notes crackled with precision; melodies were cogent; rhythms were fanciful forceful. He kept that stamina up for nearly three decades, recording a historic string of albums for Blue Note, CTI and other labels, but when he overblew his lip in 1992, an infection occurred and never quite recovered.

This year, Hubbard graced the covers of both JazzTimes and Down Beat as he aimed for a noticeable comeback with the help of fellow trumpeter and arranger, David Weiss. Hubbard’s last disc, On the Real Side, came out June to celebrate his 70th birthday.

In addition to leaving behind a wife of 35 years, Briggie Hubbard and a son, Duane, Hubbard is survived by a formidable body of work that include landmark hard-bop dates on Blue Note – Breaking Point, Open Sesame, Hub-Tones, among others; and jazz-funk classics on CTI that provided memorable hip-hop samples – Red Clay and First Flight.  He also made memorable contributions to the works of Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy, among others.

Send your condolences to the Hubbard family and tell us what’s your favorite Freddie Hubbard album.

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