In his last release for the Impulse! label, Hubbard's ambitious 1963 recording The Body & the Soul includes both an all-star septet and an orchestra with strings. Including a number of Hubbard originals and such notables as Curtis Fuller ( trombone ), Wayne Shorter ( tenor saxophone ), Eric Dolphy ( alto saxophone ), Cedar Walton ( piano ), Reggie Workman (bass), and Louis Hayes ( drums ), the album stands alone as one of the most unique productions in Freddie's substantive discography and as a showcase for the arranging skills of Wayne Shorter.

Verve by Request Series features transfers from the analog tapes remastered on 180 gram audiophile grade vinyl pressed at Third Man in Detroit, Michigan.