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.
On Green Dolphin Street
Freddie Hubbard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man, a maid, a kiss, and then goodbye
Romance was the theme
And we were the players
I never think of this without a sigh
Lover, one lovely day
Love came, planning to stay
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
I could kiss the ground on Green Dolphin Street
Lover, one lovely day
Love came, planning to stay
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
On Green Dolphin Street
The lyrics of Freddie Hubbard's "On Green Dolphin Street" describe a romantic encounter between two people that takes place in a dream-like setting. The singer reflects on the brief relationship, recalling the kiss that they shared before saying goodbye. The song emphasizes the power of memory to preserve and evoke emotions. The singer is able to revisit the love they experienced on Green Dolphin Street through their memories, suggesting that while the relationship may be over, the emotions and experiences remain vivid in their mind.
The title of the song refers to a real street in New York City. Originally named "La Rue des Marins" by French settlers in the 1700s, it was later named "Greenwich Street" before becoming "Green Dolphin Street" in the 1920s. The song was written for a 1947 film with the same name, which is based on a novel by Elizabeth Goudge. However, the film's plot is quite different from the song's lyrical content.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened
Although it seems like a distant dream, I know that it actually took place.
A man, a maid, a kiss, and then goodbye
A man and a woman shared a kiss, but they had to say goodbye soon after.
Romance was the theme
The overarching theme of the experience was one of romantic love.
And we were the players
The two individuals involved were the key figures in the romantic events.
I never think of this without a sigh
When I think back on these events, I always do so with a wistful sigh.
Lover, one lovely day
Addressing the lover, whom the song is directed to.
Love came, planning to stay
Love arrived and was committed to staying.
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The events took place on Green Dolphin Street.
The setting for nights beyond forgetting
The location where the romantic events took place was unforgettable.
And through these moments apart memories live in my heart
Even while separated, the memories of what transpired remain in my heart.
When I recall the love I found on
When I think back on the love that was discovered...
I could kiss the ground on Green Dolphin Street
...the location holds such a special place in my heart that I would even kiss the ground there.
On Green Dolphin Street
Reiterating that the events took place on Green Dolphin Street.
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC., BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, NED WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrick Emery
such a beautifully lyrical line, but also so beautifully syncronised, thanks for the fantastic transcription and playing!
Ariel Calabria
š„š„š„š
Krey Perez
Very nice