Well, the rhythm section was good. i think if you wanted to honor Freddie, it would have been better to do so by playing the best you can using your own style and strengths. Trying to emulate Freddie just didn't work. But hey, lookit. There was only one Freddie and only he could play like that. I know you have some good trumpet players up there. But they were out of their league. Don't be embarrassed. Even the guy from IU couldn't pull it off. That's why there was only one Freddie. Guys, get together again and play like *yourselves.* Then you will honor Freddie. Edited to add: Up Jumped Spring is a pretty little jazz waltz, not an exercise from your jazz theory class. Honor the music, you guys. Oh, my. Freddie would never do that to his song.
It sounds like you're opposed to the whole idea of tribute shows. Would you have the same thing to say about the 11/24/23 Roy Hargrove tribute show I've produced, or is it disrespectful for anyone to attempt to emulate his playing because "That's why there was only one (Roy)"?
@@PearceVaughn I respectfully disagree, but I do apologize to you as I follow your channel and appreciate your work. I thought you had filmed this show but had no idea what your other involvement was. For context, let me just say that I am a retired trumpet player who was born and raised in Indy. I studied trumpet with Max Woodbury, who was also Freddie Hubbard's trumpet teacher. I went to IU and then moved west, where I pursued a career in music with good success. I appreciate that a lot of work goes into putting on a tribute show. I was duly impressed with the rhythm section and know of their experience and credentials, particularly Dave and Ken's. I am familiar with the sax player and two of the three trumpeters. I can go into a lot of detail if you like, but I do not want to further hurt anyone's feelings. Let me try to explain it this way. I am not a screech trumpeter; therefore, I would respectfully decline to play in a Maynard Ferguson tribute show where we were expected to play Maynard's original charts the way he and his band did. While I do recognize and respect that these trumpeters attempted to infuse their own style into Freddie's music, the outcome was not good. If you have the talent and sound of Freddie, then you can stand up there and try to sound like Freddie while inserting some of your own ideas into the music. If you don't, and none of them did, then you are better off playing the tunes completely in your own style, and crediting Freddie with being able to play them like nobody else did or could. Successful tributes have been done in the past where a recording of the original artist's performance is played for the audience, followed by the performers playing in their own, completely different style. Freddie pioneered a type of music that was really a jazz/R & B fusion, and he mastered the style. Few others, including these performers, could ever come close. Either you can play in that style (Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan are the two best examples), or you can't. It doesn't say anything about these trumpet players' technical ability, sound production or time that they were unable to recreate the sound of Freddie Hubbard. It just reflects a poor choice of how the program was structured. They tried to blend their own styles with what they thought were valid representations of the style that Freddie authored and was better than anyone at doing. I am sorry to say that they failed, and further I think the show could have been really good if structured around what these guys can play rather than what Freddie could play. As I said, you can pay tribute to someone while being honest with the audience about whether or not you can reproduce that artist's sound. They couldn't, and so the tribute came off as dishonest. Therefore, it failed. They can certainly do it again. Don't lie to the audience, because they know when they're being lied to. It would go like this: "Only Freddie could sound like Freddie, so we aren't even gonna try. But dig what we do here with Up Jumped Spring." That works, and it is honest. That's all.
Hey, but you know, what do I know. I'm writing from a musician's perspective. If the audience dug it, and maybe they really did, then wtf do I know, right? I love your film and sound recording of these concerts, man. You always nail them perfectly.
For example. Freddie wouldn't randomly glissando up to a concert F above the staff and then trill the note until he couldn't do it anymore and it started sounding weak. He also wouldn't ever do it with two other trumpet players standing next to him, all taking turns trying the same thing. That happens in the concert more than once! If Freddie was going to do that, he would do it just at the right time, the sound would *pop* out of his trumpet, and that would be it! If he came back to it, it was because it fit, and added to the music! Freddie never put in stuff that didn't *need* to be there. He was exquisite. It was never, ever about trying to show off or screech with Freddie. It was always about the music.
@@Archie583 I really value you sharing your story and feedback, and kind words for the channel. Thank you. "..and further I think the show could have been really good if structured around what these guys can play rather than what Freddie could play." - I fully agree with you there - that is a fair point.
Great horn section and the whole band is good
Well, the rhythm section was good. i think if you wanted to honor Freddie, it would have been better to do so by playing the best you can using your own style and strengths. Trying to emulate Freddie just didn't work. But hey, lookit. There was only one Freddie and only he could play like that. I know you have some good trumpet players up there. But they were out of their league. Don't be embarrassed. Even the guy from IU couldn't pull it off. That's why there was only one Freddie. Guys, get together again and play like *yourselves.* Then you will honor Freddie. Edited to add: Up Jumped Spring is a pretty little jazz waltz, not an exercise from your jazz theory class. Honor the music, you guys. Oh, my. Freddie would never do that to his song.
It sounds like you're opposed to the whole idea of tribute shows. Would you have the same thing to say about the 11/24/23 Roy Hargrove tribute show I've produced, or is it disrespectful for anyone to attempt to emulate his playing because "That's why there was only one (Roy)"?
@@PearceVaughn I respectfully disagree, but I do apologize to you as I follow your channel and appreciate your work. I thought you had filmed this show but had no idea what your other involvement was. For context, let me just say that I am a retired trumpet player who was born and raised in Indy. I studied trumpet with Max Woodbury, who was also Freddie Hubbard's trumpet teacher. I went to IU and then moved west, where I pursued a career in music with good success. I appreciate that a lot of work goes into putting on a tribute show. I was duly impressed with the rhythm section and know of their experience and credentials, particularly Dave and Ken's. I am familiar with the sax player and two of the three trumpeters. I can go into a lot of detail if you like, but I do not want to further hurt anyone's feelings. Let me try to explain it this way. I am not a screech trumpeter; therefore, I would respectfully decline to play in a Maynard Ferguson tribute show where we were expected to play Maynard's original charts the way he and his band did. While I do recognize and respect that these trumpeters attempted to infuse their own style into Freddie's music, the outcome was not good. If you have the talent and sound of Freddie, then you can stand up there and try to sound like Freddie while inserting some of your own ideas into the music. If you don't, and none of them did, then you are better off playing the tunes completely in your own style, and crediting Freddie with being able to play them like nobody else did or could. Successful tributes have been done in the past where a recording of the original artist's performance is played for the audience, followed by the performers playing in their own, completely different style. Freddie pioneered a type of music that was really a jazz/R & B fusion, and he mastered the style. Few others, including these performers, could ever come close. Either you can play in that style (Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan are the two best examples), or you can't. It doesn't say anything about these trumpet players' technical ability, sound production or time that they were unable to recreate the sound of Freddie Hubbard. It just reflects a poor choice of how the program was structured. They tried to blend their own styles with what they thought were valid representations of the style that Freddie authored and was better than anyone at doing. I am sorry to say that they failed, and further I think the show could have been really good if structured around what these guys can play rather than what Freddie could play. As I said, you can pay tribute to someone while being honest with the audience about whether or not you can reproduce that artist's sound. They couldn't, and so the tribute came off as dishonest. Therefore, it failed. They can certainly do it again. Don't lie to the audience, because they know when they're being lied to. It would go like this: "Only Freddie could sound like Freddie, so we aren't even gonna try. But dig what we do here with Up Jumped Spring." That works, and it is honest. That's all.
Hey, but you know, what do I know. I'm writing from a musician's perspective. If the audience dug it, and maybe they really did, then wtf do I know, right? I love your film and sound recording of these concerts, man. You always nail them perfectly.
For example. Freddie wouldn't randomly glissando up to a concert F above the staff and then trill the note until he couldn't do it anymore and it started sounding weak. He also wouldn't ever do it with two other trumpet players standing next to him, all taking turns trying the same thing. That happens in the concert more than once! If Freddie was going to do that, he would do it just at the right time, the sound would *pop* out of his trumpet, and that would be it! If he came back to it, it was because it fit, and added to the music! Freddie never put in stuff that didn't *need* to be there. He was exquisite. It was never, ever about trying to show off or screech with Freddie. It was always about the music.
@@Archie583 I really value you sharing your story and feedback, and kind words for the channel. Thank you.
"..and further I think the show could have been really good if structured around what these guys can play rather than what Freddie could play."
- I fully agree with you there - that is a fair point.