Freddie Hubbard has an impeccable jazz pedigree dating back to the late '50s, including work with almost every star of the day (artists such as Eric Dolphy, Sonny Rollins, Oliver Nelson, and Ornette Coleman, and later Art Blakely, John Coltrane, and Max Roach). But while you can hear the past on 1970's Red Clay, the funky, hard-driving album fit the moment like a glove. Built around a three-note hook, the title track is modern sounding, almost danceable, a perfect fit for an era brimming with challenge and excitement. And what a band Hubbard had with him for this date: Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Ron Carter on bass, Joe Henderson on saxophone, and Lenny White on drums.

"Red Clay" is the disc's highlight, but this reissue also features an 18-minute version of the same tune, recorded live in the summer of 1971, with George Benson on guitar, Stanley Turrentine on saxophone, Johnny Hammond on organ and electric piano, Carter on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Airto Moreira on percussion. This crew, driven by Cobham's wild, passionate drumming, rips the song to shreds, creating a valuable postscript to the original cut.