Hubbard was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and associated in his youth with various musicians in Indianapolis, including Wes Montgomery and Montgomery's brothers. Chet Baker was an early influence, although Hubbard soon aligned himself with the approach of Clifford Brown (and his forebears: Fats Navarro and Dizzy Gillespie).
Hubbard's jazz career began in earnest after moving to New York City in 1958. While there, he worked with Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton, J. J. Johnson, Philly Joe Jones, Oliver Nelson, and Quincy Jones, among others. He gained attention while playing with the seminal hard bop ensemble Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, appearing on such albums as Mosaic, Buhaina's Delight, and Free For All. He left the Messengers in 1964 to lead his own groups and from that time maintained a high profile as a bandleader or featured as a special guest, but never merely a sideman.
Along with two other trumpeters also born in 1938, Lee Morgan (d. 1971) and Booker Little (d. 1961), Hubbard exerted a strong force on the direction of 1960s jazz. He recorded extensively for Blue Note Records: eight albums as a bandleader, and twenty-eight as a sideman. Most of these recordings are regarded as classics. Hubbard appeared on a few early avant-garde landmarks (Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz, Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch and John Coltrane's Ascension), but Hubbard never fully embraced free jazz, though it did influence his playing.
After leaving Blue Note, Hubbard recorded for the Atlantic label and moved toward a more commercial style. His next label was CTI Records where he recorded his best-known works, Red Clay, First Light, and Sky Dive. By 1970, his fiery, melodic improvisation and phenomenal technique established him as perhaps the leading trumpeter of his day, but a series of commercially oriented smooth jazz albums spawned some negative criticism. After signing with Columbia Records, Hubbard's albums were almost exclusively in a commercial vein. However, in 1976, Hubbard toured and recorded with V.S.O.P., led by Herbie Hancock which presented unadulterated jazz in the style of the 1960s Miles Davis Quintet (with Hubbard taking the place of Davis).
1980s projects moved between straight-ahead and commercial styles, and Hubbard recorded for several different labels including Atlantic, Pablo, Fantasy, Elektra/Musician, and the revived Blue Note label. The slightly younger Woody Shaw was Hubbard's main jazz competitor during the 1970s and 1980s, and the two eventually recorded together on three occasions. Hubbard participated in the short-lived Griffith Park Collective, which also included Joe Henderson, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White.
Following a long setback of health problems and a serious lip injury in 1992, Hubbard played and recorded occasionally, but not at the high level that he set for himself during his earlier career.
On December 29, 2008, Hubbard's hometown newspaper, Hubbard died from complications from a heart attack suffered on November 26 of the same year.
Misty
Freddie Hubbard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud
I can't understand
I get misty, holding your hand
Walk my way
And a thousand violins begin to play
That music I hear
I get misty the moment you're near
You can say that you're leading me on
But it's just what I want you to do
Don't you realize how hopelessly I'm lost
That's why I'm following you
On my own
Would I wander through this wonderland alone
Never knowing my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove
I get misty, and too much in love
I'm too misty, and too much in love
The song Misty by Freddie Hubbard is a beautiful and romantic love ballad which expresses the feeling of being lost and helpless in love. The lyrics describe how the singer is like a kitten up a tree, feeling like they are clinging to a cloud and unable to understand their own feelings. The moment they hold hands with their love interest, they become misty and overwhelmed with emotion. Even the sound of their hello is enough to make them feel like a thousand violins are playing.
The singer expresses their desire to be led on by their love interest, admitting that it's what they want. They are hopelessly lost in love and unable to find their way on their own. Without their love, they would be wandering through a wonderland alone, never knowing which direction to take. They are so much in love and misty that they can't even tell their right foot from their left, their hat from their glove.
Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of the overwhelming feeling of love, the desire to be with someone, and the feeling of being lost without them.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me
I need your attention
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
I feel vulnerable and in need of your assistance
And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud
I feel overwhelmed with emotion
I can't understand
My feelings for you confuse me
I get misty, holding your hand
Being close to you fills me with emotion
Walk my way
Come closer to me
And a thousand violins begin to play
My heart races when I'm near you
Or it might be the sound of your hello
Just the sound of your voice affects me deeply
That music I hear
The feeling of being near you is like music to my ears
I get misty the moment you're near
My emotions overwhelm me when I'm close to you
You can say that you're leading me on
You may be teasing me
But it's just what I want you to do
I enjoy being teased by you
Don't you realize how hopelessly I'm lost
I'm so in love with you that I'm directionless without you
That's why I'm following you
I'm drawn to you and want to be with you
On my own
Without you, I'm lost
Would I wander through this wonderland alone
Without you, the world would be less beautiful
Never knowing my right foot from my left
Without you, I would lack direction
My hat from my glove
Without you, I would feel disorganized
I get misty, and too much in love
My love for you is so strong it fills me with emotion
I'm too misty, and too much in love
My feelings for you overwhelm me
Lyrics ยฉ Peermusic Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, Spirit Music Group
Written by: ERROLL GARNER, JOHNNY BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrChuck365
He had me at the intro...
@TomRivieremusic
What a great Trumpet player.sound.I was lucky to see him live at the Jazz Lighthouse in Redondo Beach L.A.1972
@Kevin-jj3rf
He's playing the flugel :).
@altowatts1325
Freddie Hubbard was "The Young Man With A Horn ๐บ". Rest Well Legend.
@basilshahid2905
Erroll Garner gem!๐
Excellent rendition Freddie!๐บโจ
@washingtonfootballfanwgil8392
Freddie was my favorite horn player. R.I.P.
@AndrewKennedyMusicOfficial
The album is called Sweet Return, not Misty and the saxophonist was Lew Tabackin
@pippoMASO
There is really not much to say about this... Freddie touches my heart and soul
@jorgechuchi
The best !
@garyflores2001
I love the way Freddie played ballads. So much feeling, bold and effortless