Hubert Laws facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hubert Laws
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Laws in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Born | November 10, 1939 |
| Origin | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Flute |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Labels | RKO/Unique, Sony, Music Masters Jazz, CTI, Columbia |
Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist and saxophonist. He has played music for over 50 years. He is famous for playing jazz, classical, and other types of music.
Hubert Laws is one of the few classical artists who is also great at playing many types of music. He can easily switch between jazz, pop, and rhythm-and-blues styles. He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.
Contents
About Hubert Laws
Early Life and Music
Hubert Laws, Jr. was born on November 10, 1939. He grew up in Houston, Texas. He was one of eight children. Many of his brothers and sisters also became musicians. These include saxophonist Ronnie and singers Eloise and Debra.
Hubert started playing the flute in high school. He volunteered to play when the school orchestra's regular flutist was away. He quickly got very good at making up jazz music on the spot. He played in a jazz group in Houston called the Swingsters. This group later became the Modern Jazz Sextet, the Night Hawks, and The Crusaders. When he was 15, he was part of the early Jazz Crusaders. He also played classical music during those years.
Becoming a Professional Musician
In 1960, Hubert Laws got a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music in New York. He studied music there and learned from master flutist Julius Baker. He also played with the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
During this time, he recorded classical songs by famous composers like Gabriel Fauré and Bach. His 1971 album, Rite of Spring, featured these songs. He played with famous jazz musicians like Airto Moreira and Ron Carter. This album helped him gain fans who loved classical music. He returned to classical music in 1976 with an album of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.
While at Juilliard, Hubert Laws also played flute at night with different groups. He played with Mongo Santamaría from 1963 to 1967. In 1964, he started recording his own music. He released albums like The Laws of Jazz and Flute By-Laws. He also played on albums by other artists, including George Benson. He played flute on Gil Scott-Heron's 1971 album Pieces of a Man. This album included the famous song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". In the 1970s, Laws was also a member of the New York Jazz Quartet. He sometimes played the tenor saxophone on his records too.
Later Career and Collaborations
In the 1990s, Hubert Laws started playing music actively again. He played on the 1991 album Spirituals in Concert with opera singers Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman. His albums My Time Will Come (1990) and Storm Then Calm (1994) were highly praised by music critics. They said these albums were as good as his early 1970s work.
He also recorded a tribute album for jazz pianist Nat King Cole. It was called Hubert Laws Remembers the Unforgettable Nat King Cole and received great reviews. Hubert Laws has played and recorded with many famous artists. These include Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Nancy Wilson, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Stevie Wonder.
In 1998, Laws recorded with Morcheeba for a special album called Red Hot + Rhapsody. This album honored George Gershwin. It helped raise money for charities working to fight AIDS. In 2006, a video called Hubert Laws Live 30-year Video Retrospective was released. It showed many of his performances over 30 years.
Awards and Honors
In June 2010, Hubert Laws received a special award for his whole career. This award came from the National Endowment for the Arts for his work in jazz. He also received the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2011.
Grammy Nominations
Hubert Laws has been nominated for a Grammy Award three times. A Grammy nomination means his music was considered one of the best in its category for that year.
| Year | Title | Artist | Category | Role | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Morning Star | Hubert Laws | Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist | Primary artist, composer, flute | Nominated |
| 1974 | In the Beginning | Hubert Laws | Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist | Primary artist, composer, flute | Nominated |
| 1979 | Land of Passion | Hubert Laws | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | Primary artist, composer, flute | Nominated |
His Music Albums
Here are some of the albums Hubert Laws has released:
- The Laws of Jazz (1964)
- Flute By-Laws (1966)
- Laws' Cause (1969)
- Crying Song (1969)
- Afro-Classic (1970)
- The Rite of Spring (1971)
- Wild Flower (1972)
- Morning Star (1972)
- Carnegie Hall (1973)
- In the Beginning (1974)
- The Chicago Theme (1975)
- The San Francisco Concert (1975)
- Romeo & Juliet (1976)
See also
In Spanish: Hubert Laws para niños
