Celebrating the Flute

Thank you for participating in our Jazz Appreciation Month Listener Poll…today we celebrate the flute. Be sure to tune in to hear all of your favorite jazz flutists, including one of the greats, Hubert Laws.

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Hubert Laws was the second of eight children born to Hubert Laws, Sr. and Miola Luverta Donahue on Nov. 10, 1939 in Houston, TX. His grandfather played the harmonica, his mother played gospel on the piano and the family lived directly across the street from a rowdy honky-tonk called Miss Mary’s Place. No wonder so many of the Hubert kids turned out to be musical: Hubert, Jr. on the flute and sax, Ronnie on the sax and Elosie, Blanche, Debra and Johnnie on vocals. Decades later, their collective talents would be featured in a Hubert Laws’ album, “Family.” But first, Hubert had a long road to travel.

Already a sax player, Laws was introduced to the flute when he volunteered to step in for the high school orchestra’s regular flutist. He never looked back and eventually won a scholarship to the Julliard School of Music where he studied with master flutist Julius Baker. On his web page, Laws remembers driving to New York in a 1950 Plymouth Sedan with $600 in his pocket – as he soon learned, not much by New York standards. Just as that money was running out, he got a gig playing at Sugar Ray’s Lounge in Harlem. Laws was becoming a true cross-over artist, studying classical flute by day and playing jazz at night. His career continued with a foot in both worlds, performing with symphonies and big bands, and doing session work with the likes of Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder and Chick Corea. His musical versatility allowed him to play with both the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New Jazz Quartet, to guest with either George Benson or Moondog, to switch effortlessly between the flute and the sax. While recording jazz, he played with orchestras all over the world, including L.A., Amsterdam and Chicago.

Many of Laws’ albums were critically acclaimed, and he received three Grammy nominations. He also received wide praise for a collaboration with fellow flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and a tribute album to Nat King Cole. Always an explorer and never afraid to try new genres, Laws ventured into movies too, working on scores for The Wiz, and the Color Purple, as well as a Broadway score.

Laws has released 23 albums, is one of the most respected flutists in the world, excelling at R &B, classic and jazz funk and pop, and was voted the best flutist for 24 years. The National Endowment for the Arts  honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Jazz Masters Award. Laws attributes his enduring career to his musical versatility and advises young musicians not to unnecessarily restrict themselves. Open ears, open mind and a love for lots of genres will serve aspiring musicians well, according to the virtuoso.

And one more thing: If you want to see where it all began for Laws, Miss Mary’s Place is still in the same Houston location, honky tonkin’ it more than 70 years later.