1966 also saw John Coltrane go head long into militant free jazz, I use that term affectionately by the way. Freddie Hubbard had already staked a reputation as one of the most in-demand and ballsy sounding trumpeters on the scene.
I love Freddie's in your face brassy tone. I always felt Lee Morgan and Freddy Hubbard were equals on the instrument, and definitely cut there teeth on Clifford Brown.
Blue Spirits is an album that quite frankly is one of the best for the label in the mid 60's, a sort of a soul bop sound, modal and bluesy.
A heavy Kind of Blue influences on the first side of the record I think. "Blue Surge" is a nice little walking blues strut, reminds me of "Freddie Freeloader" from the 1959 Davis Classic.
All of side 2 actually has a nice soulful laid back vibe, but not a bore in any way.
Side 2 ramps up the bop, with a Clifford Brown style number, "Outer Forces", an opening fanfare that has some avant-garde leanings, but quickly turns into a nice hard bop piece, Freddie really lights it up on this track.
Percussionist Big Black stops by to add some congas on "Cunga Black" a nice exotic piece that reminds me of Yusef Lateef, with flute and a nice latin bogaloo, with some hot sax from James Spaulding.
I highly recommend Blue Spirits, as well as every other Blue Note Freddie ever did. Don't shy away from the early 70's CTI stuff either.
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