Reviews
Out of the Hub (feat. Suzanne Pittson), Single by Bevan Manson
Bentley’s Bandstand (Americana Highways) / Bill Bentley (August 2025)
Bebop Spoken Here / Nick Mondello (September 2025)
JW Vibe / Jonathan Widran (September 11, 2025)
Bentley’s Bandstand (Americana Highways)
Bill Bentley
featuring an endlessly intriguing vocal by Suzanne Pittson
Song of the Month: Bevan Manson featuring Suzanne Pittson, “Out of the Hub”
A wonderful arrangement for jazz orchestra and vocal of the Freddie Hubbard song “One of Another Kind.” A totally original mix of strings, horns and everything else you’d expect of such a powerful synthesis of styles. Arranged and conducted by Bevan Manson with 42 musicians and featuring an endlessly intriguing vocal by Suzanne Pittson, this is the kind of recording that skirts the border of avant garde but never loses its true jazz and even classical roots. Hopefully this is just the first track of a full album. Grammy time 2026?
Bebop Spoken Here
Nick Mondello
Pittson’s lyric statements and her scatting, pitch-sense and dynamics chops are outstanding. She swings heavy as she bops along and scats hard
Single review: Bevan Manson, featuring Suzanne Pittson – Out of the Hub (Vineland Records 2025)
New York-based vocalist/educator, Suzanne Pittson has long been an ardent admirer of the canon of trumpet master, Freddie Hubbard. To that end, in 2010 and with Hubbard’s imprimatur, she released Out of the Hub -The Music of Freddie Hubbard (Vineland Records, 2010). Presenting all Hubbard-associated selections, that fine album featured Pittson and an intensely swinging ensemble which included trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt and Pittson’s pianist/husband, Jeff.
This new single – a possible precursor to another Hubbard-related project – takes on Freddie’s One of Another Kind and repositions it again as Out of the Hub with the vocalist now surrounded by both a large jazz ensemble (all Los Angeles A-Listers) and a vibrant string orchestra, all arranged brilliantly by pianist and frequent collaborator, Bevan Manson.
It is a fascinating exercise – as this reviewer did – to listen to Pittson’s original 2010 effort, as well as the numerous recordings Hubbard did of the tune. This presentation is engagingly different on multiple levels – structural, textural, and production-wise – all the while being impeccably performed.
Unlike Hubbard’s original introduction which offered a more somber “blues roots” presentation, here Manson gives us a light, florid, entré with winds and strings in dance with Pittson’s melisma soon joining. Things quickly develop with saxophone, trumpet, et al quietly noodling behind. It soon explodes as the vocalist, now backed by full jazz ensemble, rips into the melody with her newly-composed lyrics. It is quite interesting that the singer-ensemble interplay here (and the voicings and recording values of the ensemble) are reminiscent to this ear of the classic Gil Evans/Miles Davis sessions. That is brilliant singing, writing and production right there – and a “wow” moment.
Pittson’s lyric statements and her scatting, pitch-sense and dynamics chops are outstanding. She swings heavy as she bops along and scats hard, accompanied by her own overdubbed keys. The rhythm section behind her burns and the orchestra swirls in delight. Alto saxophonist Matt Zebly delivers an intense solo (including copping one of Hub’s trademark bop licks) as does Manson. The opening motif and melody return with Pittson, orchestra and screaming brass all-out before things wind down to a quieter solo violin end with Pittson on a perfectly placed high E. Killer that.
Out of the Hub is an expansive, enthralling and – dare I say – addictive presentation that combines Suzanne Pittson’s vast talents, insightful Bevan Manson arrangements, outstanding supporting ensembles and terrific production values. I’m sure the Master would approve. –Nick Mondello
JW Vibe
Jonathan Widran
the veteran, multi-talented jazz stylist and scat virtuosa finds a fascinating way to mark a powerful creative pinnacle
With the release of “Out of the Hub,” an extraordinary, richly orchestrated, dynamics filled collaboration between pianist/arranger Bevan Manson and Suzanne Pittson, the veteran, multi-talented jazz stylist and scat virtuosa finds a fascinating way to mark a powerful creative pinnacle on her road back from the serious vocal problems that sidelined her prolific career as a performer and educator just over a decade ago.
Faced with the prospect of giving up her life’s work, she leaned on a combination of her Buddhist practice, voice coach Sophie Lair-Berreby and family and friends to persevere, eventually discovering new ways to express herself with a sense of heartfelt freedom and authenticity. Showcasing her triumphant return to form, with a slightly altered vocal approach, she returned with her critically acclaimed, perfectly titled collection Emerge Dancing, which I called “a lovely album to behold, a beautiful family endeavor with inventive harmonies and solos by (her husband, pianist) Jeff – and (her son) Evan’s production and occasional viola touches.”
Working with Manson and a whopping total of 40+ musicians (including full string, horn and rhythm sections) to create a fresh, expansive and highly spirited re-imagining of Freddie Hubbard’s “Out of the Hub” is significant because the singer’s original version (featuring colorful, poetic lyrics by Evan set to Hubbard’s 1982 instrumental composition “One of Another Kind”) was the title track to Out of the Hub: The Music of Freddie Hubbard, released in 2010 – not long before her vocal problems began.
Manson’s lush arrangement begins with a swirling overture featuring a caress of strings around Suzanne’s wordless vocalizing and the soulful, mesmerizing blend of sax and trumpet. Then the horn section punches in behind the singer’s sweeping invitation, vocally imitating a horn improvisation with words, to “come aboard a fantasy ride through lands, sight unseen,” a grand opening to the adventurous, exploratory nature of the piece.
Suzanne rides above the brass with lyrics for a few bars before switching to her otherworldly scatting for an extensive run, hitting all manner of high and low notes as Bevan’s piano, some old school soul-jazz keyboard harmonies and and Trey Henry’s plucky bass groove guide her along and match her speed note for note. If there were any skepticism going in that Suzanne may not be “back,” this passage obliterates that with great panache. The singer then steps back, allowing Matt Zebley’s lengthy, fascinating alto improvisation to jump, shout and boogie over Manson’s buoyant chords, backed by the rising of more lush strings.
Manson gives himself a wild and whimsical solo romp before Suzanne joins the grand ensemble again for the song’s second, equally compelling and uniquely poetic verse and a little more high-end scatting for the road. Bevan ends the piece with a slower tempo and mournful tones, as if expressing a tinge of sadness that the song is over – but the singer returns for a few more masterful notes to remind us that in many ways, she’s just beginning all over again!