Hubert Laws

Hubert Laws – Crying Song (1969/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 33:55 minutes | 1,32 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Legacy Recordings

Crying Song is an album by jazz flautist Hubert Laws released on the CTI label featuring performances of popular music (including songs by The Beatles and Pink Floyd) by Laws recorded in Memphis with Elvis Presley’s rhythm section and at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio.

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Hubert Laws – Carnegie Hall (CTI 50th Anniversary Special Collection) (1973/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 36:25 minutes | 1,39 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © CTI Records

Carnegie Hall is a live album by flautist Hubert Laws recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1973 and released on the CTI label. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars stating “This interesting live set features flutist Hubert Laws at the height of his powers and fame”.

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Hubert Laws – Afro-Classic (1970/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 37:58 minutes | 1,44 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © King Records

Universally regarded as the most accomplished flautist in jazz, Hubert Laws has done much more than build a bridge between jazz and classical music; he has melded his diverse influences seamlessly with a fully singular approach. Afro-Classic includes brilliant interpretations of Bach, Mozart and James Taylor plus a gorgeous version of Theme from Love Story. This timeless classic by the genre-busting poll-winning flautist features Bob James, Ron Carter, and incredible arrangements by Don Sebesky.

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Hubert Laws – The Rite Of Spring (1971/2013)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 30:50 minutes | 1,21 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: e-Onkyo | Booklet, Front Cover | © CTI Records
Recorded: June 8, 10 and 25, 1971 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Long before Wynton decided he could play classical chops as well as the real long-haired interpreters, even though he was a jazz musician, Hubert Laws and his partners at CTI gave it a run with a jazz twist, and for the most part with a far more adventurous repertoire. Unfortunately, the results were just about as thrilling as Wynton’s, with a few notable exceptions. For whatever reason, flutist Hubert Laws, known for his soul-jazz deftness, decided to take on handful of classical texts with the help of Bob James on piano, harpsichord, and electric piano; bassist Ron Carter, who doubles on cello; and drummer Jack DeJohnette, along with percussionists Airto and David Friedman, a pair of classical guitarists, and a trio of bassoonists. The program ranges from Debussy’s lovely “Syrinx” and Faure’s “Pavane,” to Stravinsky on the title cut and two movements of the third Brandberg Concerto by Bach. The problem with so much variation and ambition is that it’s bound to get caught up somewhere. That catching place is in the articulation of the actual transcriptions. They are stiff, rigid, oddly intoned, and lackluster — except in Debussy’s “Syrinx,” which is gorgeous throughout with its strange meter and lilting cadence. On the rest, the only place the tunes work is in the sections where the players engage in jazz improvisation upon the score, which is a swirling, engaging free-for-all of color, texture, and nuance. But since this happens so irregularly, the pieces just seem to grate on the listener. This is a brave but ultimately failed experiment.

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