Huba...the album
[Jupiter 2006]
My first encounter with Huba came after picking up two other releases on the Jupiter label; an album by Fly and one by Teddy Rok Seven. This led me on to the Quintessence album followed by Jukka Eskola… the link? Finland ! Nothing could quite prepare me for Huba’s 12″ release ‘Mary’ - heavy vinyl - heavy tune. Perfect music.
The word spread and all the right faces soon had the twelve in their collection, but then what? Well for me it all went a little too quiet for my liking until… the album - delight, expectation, nervousness, enthusiasm, even celebration as the opening ‘Mary’ floods the memory banks with euphoria. So I sit, late on a mild November night, headphones tight and volume… yeh! Just right.
Each of the twelve compositions blend beautifully from one to the next, no disruption, fantastic musicianship prominent and wonderful exciting ideas clear…. ouch ‘Brave & Strong’ smacks you centre face - invigorating soulful and powerful.
What next? Funky licks with ‘Who’s Got The Nerve’, a monster of a tune that gets the pulses racing, and then jazz with the vocal stamp of authority that is Huba. A great groover and a serious contender for a 12″ release in the New Year me thinks.
So what’s the verdict? Well for those of you not familiar with Huba need this simply for ‘Mary’ - those of you that oh-so-big-step in front will die for ‘Like Sly Says’ and ‘Summer Morn’, but for me.. where the money is? Well it’s all about ‘Natural High’ the most soulful tune since the year 1979… tears appear. A happy man am I. This gets full marks and then some.
http://www.myspace.com/hubamusic
Steve Williams is Editor of online jazz magazine UKVibe (www.ukvibe.org).