From the 1960s to the late '80s, Indianapolis-born trumpeter Freddie Hubbard was arguably the greatest jazz trumpeter on the planet. In the early '90s his lip was damaged by overwork and cancer, which put him out of commission for about a decade. With this CD on drummer Lenny White's Hip Bop label, Hubbard plays the flugelhorn, and is backed by the cutting-edge New Composers Octet. Sounding like he did with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the freshness and attack of Hubbard's Clifford Brown-inspired tone is back. His new tunes, the gospel-funk number "Blues for Miles" and the majestic Latin-tinged "Dizzy's Connotations," pay tribute to his trumpet idols. The CD also boasts several soulful and swinging renditions of Hubbard's classic compositions, such as the fast-paced "One of Another Kind" from Hubbard's V.S.O.P. days with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams, and his dynamic Blue Note-era numbers, including the waltz-like "Blue Spirits" and the danceable "Osie Mae." The highlight of this recording is the rhythmic reincarnation of Hubbard's '70s soul fusion hit "Red Clay," which is reborn in rousing fashion by Hubbard's articulate improvisational flights. Add the sterling solos of alto saxophonist Myron Walden, pianist Xavier Davis, and bassist Dwayne Burno, and you have a CD that proves that Freddie Hubbard is back! --Eugene Holley Jr.