When Freddie Hubbard moved to New York City in the late ‘50s, he soon began his ascension to the highest echelon of trumpeters. After paying his dues as one of the most in-demand sidemen on the horn, he became a bandleader during the golden age of hard bop while still playing on classics like Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch and Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage. After a series of classic post-bop recordings for Blue Note in the '60s, Hubbard moved into a funkier, fusion-oriented sound with his '70s recordings for Creed Taylor's CTI Records.