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Freddie Hubbard has a new record, “On the Real Side”.

Over the years, I have listened to Freddie a lot. He was always known as a guy that played harder, faster, higher and longer than other trumpet players. A player’s player. To me though, it never just about virtuosity with Freddie Hubbard, I think he’s a very musical guy.

I did not realize that the reason Freddie was absent from the scene was a case of “chop trouble”. And, due to my continuing experience with M.S. and my own chop trouble, I’m always interested in hearing how a musician, who has lost some facility, has figured out how to deal with it.

Decades of Herculean trumpet work have taken their toll on Freddie’s chops. In late 1992 his top lip popped and later became infected. A biopsy was taken and cancer was ruled out, but Hubbard was left with upper lip tissue so sore he was unable to play with the same slashing attack and killer abandon he was famous for. “It’s really something when you lose your chops like that, “ says Hubbard. “You feel like a motherless child. You can’t do it like you used to. But now I’m at that age when I have to think more about what I’m going play instead of just running all over the horn. You gotta play with your soul instead of your chops.”…

Back in the day, I used to just pick up it up and start blowing like crazy. But I’ve learned that the trumpet is like a car in the winter. You can’t just jump in it and drive off. You gotta warm it up first.”

Good stuff there Mr. Hubbard. Actually good advice for any musician.

I also found this site, that has some great Freddie Hubbard quotes as well as a discography that covers his remarkable recording career extensively. It’s where I found this applicable gem.

I quit drinking, so I can think clear. When you have chop trouble, drinking doesn’t help the healing process.
Freddie Hubbard

Good to see you are still in the game Freddie, I’m and looking forward to hearing you “play with your soul”.

I found this at the site msakc.org. It is from a speech by Dr. Alexander Burnfield to members of Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis.

Fatigue is a sensation that is both universal to all and very specific to people who have multiple sclerosis. The fatigue that all people experience is due to tiredness and weakness affecting muscles after exercises or exertion. In multiple sclerosis, that fatigue that many people have is rather different since the nervous system as well as the muscles are involved.

The cause of MS fatigue is not fully understood. What may happen is that great difficulty is experienced in the transmission of nerve impulses along demyelinated nerves. The strength of the impulses is much reduced, resulting in feelings of weakness and tiredness. Sensory nerves as well as motor nerves are involved in this kind of fatigue.

My neurologist, Dr Hopewell, despite his cheerful sounding name, is what I would call a “no shit guy”. By that, I mean that he doesn’t sugar coat things or build up false optimism. That being said, he is, at the same time, very proactive in his approach to treating the disease and very encouraging in regard to quality of life issues.

This, from memory, is how the conversation went last time I saw him.

Me- “Well, one thing I’m having to deal with is fatigue.”

Dr. Hopewell- “When do you feel fatigued?”

“I notice that, if I play, like maybe, three nights in a row or, spend a couple of long days in the studio, I’m useless for a whole day, sometimes two-afterwards.”

“That seems right in line with M.S. Fatigue. What will happen, as you go along is, you will reach a point where you won’t be able to put in those 14 hours in the studio, at one time. You will have to cut back on the amount of hours and spread the work out. If it gets to the point where it is effecting your ability to get the job done, we may take a look at some other types of treatment.”

So, after the hectic weekend of gigs and marathon mixing, right now today, I am in the part of the cycle where I am burned out.

Knowing what I am going through helps a great deal. The best thing for me to do right now is, give in to the fatigue-don’t fight it.

Misconception occurs when knowledge when knowledge of something is not based upon it’s true form.

Patanjali Sutra 1-8, as translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda

[tags] Multiple Sclerosis, M.S. Fatigue [/tags]