Hubert Laws Rite

Wonderful sounds from Hubert Laws – and like some of his best CTI work of a few years before, a set that really goes way beyond any easy expectations! There's moments of ambition here that really link the record to Laws' CTI sides – that mix of fuller arrangements and higher-concept sounds that are a perfect fit for his careful tone on flute – sitting nicely alongside more easygoing fusion number that really flesh out the sound – some of those sparkling Columbia Records grooves from the start of the 80s that mix together acoustic and electric instrumentation! The album features Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano from Bobby Lyle, drums from Leon Ndugu Chancler, and bass from Nathan East – plus a bit of acoustic piano from Chick Corea, and guest vocals on one cut from Deborah Laws!

Hubert Laws hits an 80s groove here – but the shift doesn't seem to dampen his soul at all! At some points, the rhythms are a bit more pronounced than before – bouncy and funky at points, with a slight nod to the clubs – yet other points still have that soft, airy finish that made Laws' flute such a big hit earlier in the 70s – mixed here with some nice vocals from Rod McNeill and Eloise Laws too. Most of the album's still instrumental, though – and other players include Bobby Lyle on acoustic piano, Randy Waldman on Fender Rhodes, Nathan East on bass, and Ndugu Chancler on drums. Titles include "Stay With Me", "Morning Star", "Life Cycles", "Gonna Be Happy", "Make It Last", and "Happy Anniversary".

Nothing too silent here, as the set's filled with the kind of soulful fusion grooves we'd expect from Hubert Laws in the 70s! The album's a real standout in his Columbia catalog – a perfectly balanced set that features plenty of great work from Hubert on flute, amidst arrangements that also have a bit of a groove on most numbers – never too smooth, nor too commercial – and very much in the spirit of Bobbi Humphrey's excellent late 70s sides for the label. As with those records, there's a bit of vocals here – sung in a lovely way by Debra and Eloise Laws – and there's also a bit of strings here, but used sparingly to match the sweetly stepping rhythms.

When Columbia released Land of Passion in 1979, the album received scathing reviews from jazz critics. They knew Hubert Laws for his work as a jazz instrumentalist, and for the most part, Land of Passion isn't instrumental jazz – it isn't hard bop, post-bop, or even fusion. The main focus of this LP is mellow, mildly jazzy R&B/pop (with the occasional instrumental). So serious jazz standards shouldn't be applied.

Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Considering the artistry of the late Eric Dolphy and the popularity of the late Herbie Mann, Laws is notably in the company of the most recognized and respected jazz flutists in the history of jazz, (also the most imitated). Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop, and rhythm-and-blues genres, moving effortlessly from one repertory to another…

After the success of 1970's Afro-Classic, Hubert Laws re-teamed with arranger/conductor Don Sebesky for 1972's Morning Star, his third date for producer Creed Taylor's CTI. Laws' sidemen for the date included Ron Carter on bass, Bob James on electric piano, Billy Cobham and Ralph McDonald on drums, guitarist John Tropea, and vibraphonist/percussionist Dave Friedman. Rather than follow up Afro-Classic with another program of primarily classical numbers, Taylor, Laws, and Sebesky employed a large string, wind, and brass ensemble and went to the pop-jazz side of the spectrum. The title track of this gorgeous set is a laid-back, lilting jazz tune with Laws' flute introducing the melody, followed by a tight, economical yet lengthy and expressive James solo and the winds flowing in momentarily before the brass explodes into a gorgeous swing before disappearing again very quickly…

Hubert Laws - Afro-Classic (1970) {Mosaic Contemporary MSC 5002 rel 2007}
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© 1970, 2007 Mosaic Contemporary / CTI | MSC 5002
Jazz / Crossover Jazz / Jazz-Pop / Flute

Issued in 1970 as his second album for Creed Taylor's CTI label, Hubert Laws' Afro-Classic is a classic for the manner in which Laws, with brilliant assistance from arranger Don Sebesky, melded the jazz and classical worlds – not to mention pop – into a seamless whole. Laws was the first artist signed to Taylor's imprint. His debut for the label, Crying Song, won critical notice, but it was Afro-Classic that established a new role for the flute in contemporary jazz. Herbie Mann may have been the first, but Laws explored jazz and all the sound worlds that informed it – especially in the electric domain – with the kind of grace and innovative vision that made him a mainstay.