Blues for Miles

by Alex HendersonGiven the way Miles Davis sharply criticized Freddie Hubbard in various magazine interviews in the 1970s, it's ironic that this decent but less than essential CD finds Hubbard paying tribute to someone who had such unkind words for him. Davis, to be sure, could be a loose cannon. During interviews, he loved to be provocative for the sake of being provocative. So as brilliantly innovative a musician/composer as Davis was, you couldn't take everything he had to say seriously -- and that includes his criticisms of Hubbard. Whatever their differences, Hubbard's affection for Davis' contributions to jazz comes through on Blues for Miles, which was recorded six months after Davis' death in April 1992. Joined by pianist Billy Childs, bassist Tony Dumas, and drummer Ralph Penland, Hubbard sticks to a muted trumpet and salutes Davis' standards period. Though Hubbard's "Blues for Miles (Hip-Hop Bop)" acknowledges the funky electric Davis of the 1970s and 1980s, his main focus is the lyrical Davis of the 1950s, who he pays tribute to on such standards as "Skylark," "Autumn Leaves," and "Come Rain or Come Shine." Although not among Hubbard's great albums, Blues for Miles is generally likable -- of course, the master trumpeter who gave us gems like Hub-Tones and Ready for Freddie in the 1960s and Red Clay, Straight Life, and First Light in the 1970s was a lot more than simply likable. Casual listeners would be much better off with one of those five-star albums; Blues for Miles is primarily for collectors and Hubbard's diehard fans.