Freddie Hubbard - Goin' Up (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)

Freddie Hubbard was just 22 and already burning bright when he cut Goin' Up, his second Blue Note album as a leader, presented here in the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series on 180-gram vinyl.

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs late in 1960 and released the following year, it surrounded the young trumpeter with an all-star crew: Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, McCoy Tyner on piano, and the peerless rhythm team of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. Alfred Lion produced, and the chemistry is immediate.

Hubbard's tone is the headline, bright and brassy with a fearless upper register, yet the programme is generous to everyone. Kenny Dorham's "Asiatic Raes" opens the album with moody, minor-key intrigue, while Mobley contributes "The Changing Scene" and the bouncing "A Peck a Sec," both tailored to the band's hard-swinging strengths. Hubbard's own "Blues for Brenda" closes the set with a deep-pocket groove that shows off his growing gifts as a composer, and Tyner's comping sparkles throughout.

It's prime early-sixties hard bop, full of youthful swagger and seasoned support. For any collection built around the classic Blue Note sound, this one slots in beautifully beside the label's best-known titles and keeps revealing new details with every spin.