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.
Weaver Of Dreams
Freddie Hubbard Lyrics
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You and your strange fascination
You're a weaver of dreams
You and your come-hither smile
Just to hear you speak
Can leave me weak as a babe in arms
Poor little babe in arms
For you're a weaver of dreams
You and your lips warm and tender
Just like magic it seems
Thrilling, enchanting me too
I'm in your spell and there's no cure
I'm lost for sure
`Cause you're a weaver of dreams
And I'm in love with you.
(You're a weaver of dreams
You and your strange fascination
You're a weaver of dreams
You and your come hither smile)
I'm in your spell and there's no cure
I'm lost for sure
`Cause you're a weaver of dreams
And I'm in love with you.
(You're a weaver of dreams,
You're a weaver of dreams)
The lyrics to Freddie Hubbard's song "Weaver of Dreams" describe the power that the singer's love interest holds over him. The love interest is compared to a "weaver of dreams" who has a "strange fascination" and a "come-hither smile." The singer is so enamored with this person that just hearing them speak can leave him feeling weak and helpless. The love interest's "lips warm and tender" seem to have a magical effect on the singer, enchanting him and leaving him under their spell.
The overall theme of the song is that the love interest is a master at weaving dreams and casting spells, and the singer is powerless to resist. The song is a beautiful tribute to the power of love and the way it can leave us feeling vulnerable and entranced.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a weaver of dreams
You have the power to create and conjure dreams with your presence and personality.
You and your strange fascination
Your unusual and captivating quality draws people in and intrigues them.
You and your come-hither smile
Your enticing smile beckons and charms those around you.
Just to hear you speak
Merely listening to your voice can affect me deeply.
Can leave me weak as a babe in arms
The impact of your voice can make me feel vulnerable and powerless.
Poor little babe in arms
I feel as helpless as an infant when I am under your influence.
Helpless before your charms
I am defenseless against your irresistible qualities.
You and your lips warm and tender
Your warm and gentle kisses have a magical effect.
Just like magic it seems
Your embrace and touch are enchanting and inexplicable.
Thrilling, enchanting me too
Your touch causes a sense of excitement and enchantment in me as well.
I'm in your spell and there's no cure
I am under your influence and there is no remedy for my state of mind.
I'm lost for sure
I am completely captivated and unable to think clearly.
And I'm in love with you.
I have fallen deeply in love with you and cannot break free from your hold on me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN MOON ELLIOTT, VICTOR YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind