Few experiences in jazz can equal a full-tilt cutting contest between a couple of brilliant trumpeters. The legendary duels of Armstrong and Beiderbecke, Navarro and McGhee, Brown and Farmer have stirred generations of fans. The challenge provided by the presence of a contemporary rival is usually sufficient to set the sparks flying. That was how it happened when Lee Morgan joined Freddie Hubbard’s unit for a wailing engagement at the Club La Marchal last year.
On this first volume of transcriptions from those sessions, Lee and Freddie lock horns for Pensativa, a beautiful Clare Fischer tune which the composer played on a World Pacific LP. Hubbard once heard him perform it and persuaded Art Blakey to include the chart in the Jazz Messengers’ book. They recorded it on Free For All (Blue Note 4170). The number’s wistfulness evidently made a deep impression on Freddie who has said ‘The melody was so beautiful … I couldn’t get it out of my mind.’ In this high voltage treatment of Pensativa Lee Morgan leads off with a sensitive muted solo, unfortunately grossly distorted by over-recording. By the time Hubbard’s open trumpet takes over the engineer has fortunately sorted things out. Pianist Harold Mabern follows, sounding rather uneasy on a badly-tuned piano.
But these are only the routine doings before the real business – a grandstanding display by the trumpeters. Each is pushed by the other through chorus after chorus of frantic exchanges. With lightning speed, wit and admirable invention they pluck ideas out of the bag, exploring, embellishing and finally rejecting for new thoughts. In sustaining this battle for fully 10 minutes Morgan and Hubbard show they have few peers among their generation. Of the two I must confess a slight preference for Freddie’s tone and originality, but quite honestly there is nothing to choose between them here.
Walkin’ is a bit anti-climactic. And unless my ears deceive me Hubbard drops out for this one, except for possibly the ensembles. The trumpet solo definitely belongs to Morgan. Much of this track is taken up by a sprawling alto excursion from James Spaulding in the course of which he evokes Eric Dolphy, rips off a trifle of Country Gardens, honks like the ‘Queen Mary’ and generally avant gardes it up. At the close he and Lee go into a pecking (simultaneous, improvisation) thing before a ragged ending. Big Black’s conga thumps away alongside Pete La Roca’s drums in this heavyweight walk. If only the standard had been maintained.
And that’s one of the troubles of long, long tracks. If they’re duff, you lose a whole side. Might as well buy one of the ‘half only’ E.S.P. discs – and play the blank, of course. For trumpeters, a must. For others Pensativa is a must anyway.
Discography
Pensativa (23 min) – Walkin’ (20 min)
Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan (tpt); James Spaulding (alt/flt); Harold Mabern Jr. (p); Larry Ridley (bs); Pete LaRoca (d); Big Black (conga-d). Club La Marchal, Brooklyn, NYC, 1965.
(Blue Note 4207 45s. 3d.)
