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First Light is an album by jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Recorded in 1971, it features string arrangements by Don Sebesky. It was his third album released on Creed Taylor’s CTI label and features performances by Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Eric Gale, George Benson, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moreira and Richard Wyands. The album is part of a loose trilogy including his two previous records at the time, Red Clay and Straight Life. First Light won a 1972 Grammy Award for “Best Jazz Performance by a Group”.

The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars, stating: ” A masterpiece.”

Track listing:
“First Light” – 11:05 (Hubbard)
“Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (P. McCartney, L. McCartney) – 8:17
“Moment to Moment” (Mancini, Mercer) – 5:43
“Yesterday’s Dreams” (Martin, Sebesky) – 3:55
“Lonely Town” [from On the Town] (Bernstein, Comden, Green) – 7:00
“Fantasy in D” (Walton) – 6:55

Personnel:
Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, flugelhorn
Herbie Hancock – Fender Rhodes piano
Richard Wyands – piano
George Benson – guitar
Ron Carter – bass
Jack DeJohnette – drums
Airto Moreira – percussion
Phil Kraus – vibraphone
Hubert Laws – flute
Wally Kane – flute, bassoon
George Marge – flute, clarinet
Romeo Penque – flute, English horn, oboe, clarinet
Jane Taylor – bassoon
Ray Alonge – French horn
James Buffington – French horn
Margaret Ross – harp
David Nadien – violin
Paul Gershman – violin
Emanuel Green – violin
Harold Kohon – violin
Joe Malin – violin
Gene Orloff – violin
Matthew Raimondi – violin
Tosha Samaroff – violin
Irving Spice – violin
Alfred Brown – viola
Emanuel Vardi – viola
Charles McCracken – cello
George Ricci – cello
Don Sebesky – arranger, conductor

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Released: October 12, 1971
Recorded: September 14–16, 1971
Studio: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Genre Jazz-funk, post-bop, jazz fusion, soul jazz
Length 42:55
Label CTI
Producer Creed Taylor