Famed Trumpet Player Freddie Hubbard Dies

Proud Hoosier and brilliant Jazz musician Freddie Hubbard has passed away at the age of seventy. The visionary trumpeter played with the likes of Coltrane and Davis during his storied more than forty year career. He died from complications due to a recent heart attack. His wife was beside him when he passed.

According to Billboard, long-time manager and friend David Weiss issued a statement saying, “He played faster, longer, higher, and with more energy than any other trumpeter of his era.” The Grammy Award winner influenced a slew of both contemporaries and younger generation musicians.

A public tribute and possible memorial concert are currently being finalized for early 2009. If you live in the New York area, I’d highly advise checking into this. Beyond being a brilliant virtuoso, Hubbard played a significant role in the lives of many of the more famous Jazz musicians of all-time, and they’ll undoubtedly turn out to lend their support to their fallen friend.