Freddie Hubbard’s 🎺 Lyrical Solo Over This Iconic Herbie Hancock Tune ⛵️

Reader,

Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage, a staple of modal jazz, has a relaxed but steady groove.

The tune is in the key of D dorian and uses just four chords. Herbie is known for his use of "sus" harmony, and that's how these chords are often labeled. They are voiced as quartals, and so they can be a bit more nebulous analytically.

I would be very interested to hear your take one what these chords are, as I'm considering exploring this in more depth in an upcoming video on the channel.

Today's 2-5-1

Each week I share 2 transcribed phrases, 5 ideas observed from 1 featured jazz recording.

Freddie Hubbard's trumpet solo on this tune is one of my favorites. His playing is both smooth and bold, using a strong tone and changes in dynamics to take us on a journey from a minimal, lyrical line to intense rhythms and syncopation.

In the first example, Freddie creates an emotional melodic motif alternating between long held notes and short, staccato phrases. He uses space well, letting the music breathe and develop naturally.

Later in the solo, in the second example, Freddie pushes the rhythm, making his lines more angular and intricate. He introduces triplets, syncopated rhythms, and explores the upper register, adding dramatic tension and excitement.

I did my best to capture the essence of Freddie's rhythm in notation, but it was pretty tricky. Sometime's its quite hard to use a primitive tool, like music notation, to truly describe the rhythmic feeling from a performance.

1. Pacing and Space Are Key: Freddie’s solo shows great pacing. He leaves space for the music to breathe, making each note more impactful.
2. Melodic Development: Freddie Hubbard builds on small motifs and gradually expands them, creating movement through melody.
3. Rhythmic Variation: Hubbard's solo shows how rhythmic variation keeps jazz improvisation engaging. From simple phrases to syncopated lines, his rhythmic shifts make the solo unpredictable.
4. Dynamics and Range: Hubbard's use of dynamics and pitch adds intensity. He moves from soft phrases to explosive high notes, showing the value of using your full range.
5. Interaction with the Rhythm Section: Freddie listens closely to the rhythm section, responding to Tony Williams' drum accents and Ron Carter's bass lines. This interaction makes his solo feel alive and conversational.

Submit a Recording - Have a suggestion for a track I should include in a future 2-5-1? Send it over by replying to this email.