Gibraltar

Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), George Benson (guitar), Lonnie Smith (electric piano), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Kaye (drums) and Richard “Pablo” Landrum (congas). From de album Sugar (1970).

In ancient times, Gibraltar was called “Calpe mountain” or “Tariq’s mountain”. It’s a small peninsula located in the passage of the Strait of Gibraltar with high strategic military value for its control of access to the Mediterranean Sea. It was incorporated into the Crown of Castile in the second half of the 15th century, but in 1704 an Anglo-Dutch fleet arrived at the Rock of Gibraltar in favor of the pretender Archduke Charles during the Spanish War of Succession. This fleet conquered the poorly defended rock and in 1713 the Treaty of Utrech was signed between Great Britain and Spain.

In that treaty the Spanish Crown ceded the territory of Gibraltar to the British Crown “with full rights and forever”, but it also states that Spain has a preferential right to recover it if the British Crown decides to give, sell or alienate it in any way. Since then, reconquest of the rock has been a permanent objective in Spanish foreign policy. During the 18th century Spain attacked Gibraltar twice, but without success. Since 1963, the United Nations considers this territory as pending decolonization. In the Lisbon Declaration of 1980 and the Brussels Declaration of 1984 between Spain and the United Kingdom, both agreed to solve the problem, but negotiations have been suspended by the United Kingdom.

First the group makes a short introduction including a Benson intervention. Then they expose the theme, which could be classified as soul jazz. The melody is joyful and expressive, although the bridge is darker. The first one to enter is Turrentine expressing very good ideas with the saxophone, which he develops in a decided and impressive way. He is followed by Hubbard with a dynamic solo made of surprising phrases and doing tricks with the trumpet. Next comes Benson with a quieter discourse, but well structured and articulated until the group re-exposes the theme. To conclude, Turrentine continues to play fading out.