Max Roach, Hank Mobley - Max Roach Quartet feat. Hank Mobley (1953)

Max Roach, Hank Mobley - Max Roach Quartet feat. Hank Mobley (1953)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 170MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Drummer Max Roach's first studio session as a leader falls stylewise between bop and hard bop. The earlier set, which has four group originals played by a septet that also includes trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, trombonist Leon Comegys, altoist Gigi Gryce, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Walter Davis, Jr. and bassist Franklin Skeete, was the recording debut for both Mobley and Davis. The other session (two standards, two originals by Roach including his solo "Drum Conversation," Mobley's "Kismet" and Charlie Parker's "Chi Chi") features the same rhythm section, with Mobley as the only horn. The music is enjoyable although not as essential as the great drummer's later dates. This CD reissue adds "Drum Conversation Part 2" to the original LP program.

Tracks
-01. "Cou-Manchi-Cou" - Roach - 3:01
-02. "Just One of Those Things" - Porter - 3:08
-03. "The Glow Worm" - Lincke, Mercer, Robinson - 2:27
-04. "Mobleyzation" - Mobley - 2:42
-05. "Chi-Chi" - Parker - 2:58
-06. "Kismet" - Mobley - 2:39
-07. "I'm a Fool to Want You" - Herron, Sinatra, Wolf - 3:13
-08. "Sfax" - Roach - 2:17
-09. "Orientation" - Mobley - 2:50
-10. "Drum Conversation" - Roach - 2:42
-11. "Drum Conversation, Pt. 2" - Roach - 4:38

Personnel
* Alto Saxophone – Gigi Gryce (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)
* Bass – Franklin Skeete*
* Drums – Max Roach
* Piano – Walter Davis II*
* Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
* Trombone – Leon Comegys (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)
* Trumpet – Idrees Sulieman (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)

sample & buy: Max Roach feat H Mobley

Hank Mobley - Sextet (With Donald Byrd & Lee Morgan) (1956)

Hank Mobley - Sextet (With Donald Byrd & Lee Morgan) (1956)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 150MB

Toshiba TOCJ-1540 limited edition | 20-bit/88kHz remaster

Amazon:
This recording is a great example of Mobley's solid work for Blue Note in the 1950s. This particular session, recorded on 25 November 1956, features Mobley with Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, and Charlie Persip. That lineup alone should be reason enough for buying this CD. The playing is crisp and fluid, with the two trumpeters playing in unison frequently before breaking off into their focused, emotionally charged solos. The interplay between Morgan and Byrd on "Double Whammy" and "Mobleymania" is wonderful, as is Mobley's tenor playing throughout the entire disc. This is some really solid hard bop.

Tracks:
-1. "Touch and Go" - 9:17
-2. "Double Whammy" - 8:11
-3. "Barrel of Funk" - 11:20
-4. "Mobleymania" - 8:28
All compositions by Hank Mobley
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, November 25, 1956

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
* Donald Byrd: trumpet
* Lee Morgan: trumpet
* Horace Silver: piano
* Paul Chambers: bass
* Charlie Persip: drums

sample & buy: Hank Mobley Sextet

Hank Mobley - Straight No Filter (1963&66) (Connoisseur Ltd edition)

Hank Mobley  - Straight No Filter (1963&66)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 405MB

Blue Note | Connoisseur Limited Edition 24-bit remaster

Allmusic:
Straight No Filter finds tenor Hank Mobley in several settings from the mid-'60s, each of them excellent. The overall roster is quite impressive, starting with the first set which features trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. The upbeat title cut is given a loose, post-bop feel by Tyner's comping, but things are brought back to earth by Mobley's emotional playing. A number of exchanges between Morgan and Mobley's horns give the piece an effective ending. "Chain Reaction" gives this group nearly 11 minutes to stretch things out, while "Soft Impressions" features a heavy blues groove. A couple of other standouts on this album -- "This Feelin's Good" and "Yes Indeed" -- feature trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Butch Warren, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. Hancock provides a distinctive backdrop for Mobley and Morgan's solos while turning in some fine work himself. Mobley shines on Sy Oliver's "Yes Indeed," delivering a soulful solo, shot through with the blues. His playing throughout Straight No Filter is warm, accessible, and inventive, and it is instructive to have these sessions side by side, giving the listener a chance to compare Mobley's work in different settings. It should be mentioned that he penned eight out of the nine of these fine compositions. Bob Blumenthal's liner notes are helpful, breaking down the individual sessions and providing a good overview of Mobley's career. Straight No Filter will be welcomed by Mobley's fans and lovers of hard bop. It shouldn't be missed.

Tracks:
-1. "Straight No Filter" - 5:56
-2. "Chain Reaction" - 11:00
-3. "Soft Impressions" - 4:46
-4. "Third Time Around" - 6:23
-5. "Hank's Waltz" - 7:41
-6. "Syrup and Biscuits" - 5:34
-7. "Comin' Back" - 6:24
-8. "The Feelin's Good" - 5:38
-9. "Yes Indeed" (Oliver) - 5:34
All compositions by Hank Mobley except as indicated

* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, March 7 & October 2, 1963, February 4, 1965 and June 17, 1966

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone (all tracks)
* Lee Morgan - trumpet (tracks 1-3,6,7)
* McCoy Tyner - piano (tracks 1-3)
* Bob Cranshaw - bass (tracks 1-3)
* Billy Higgins - drums (tracks 1-5)
* Freddie Hubbard - trumpet (tracks 4,5)
* Barry Harris - piano (tracks 4,5)
* Paul Chambers - bass (tracks 4,5)
* Andrew Hill - piano (tracks 6,7)
* John Ore - bass (tracks 6,7)
* Donald Byrd - trumpet (tracks 8,9)
* Herbie Hancock - piano (tracks 8,9)
* Butch Warren - bass (tracks 8,9)
* Philly Joe Jones - drums (tracks 6-9)

sample & buy: Straight No Filter (Limited Edition) (Connoisseur CD Series)

Hank Mobley - A Caddy for Daddy (1966) (SACD) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - A Caddy for Daddy (1966)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

Blue Note | SACD 2009

AMG:
Hank Mobley was a perfect artist for Blue Note in the 1960s. A distinctive but not dominant soloist, Mobley was also a very talented writer whose compositions avoided the predictable yet could often be quite melodic and soulful; his tricky originals consistently inspired the young all-stars in Blue Note's stable. For this CD, which is a straight reissue of a 1965 session, Mobley is joined by trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins (a typically remarkable Blue Note lineup) for the infectious title cut, three other lesser-known but superior originals, plus Wayne Shorter's "Venus Di Mildew." Recommended.

Tracks:
-1. "A Caddy for Daddy" - 9:15
-2. "The Morning After" - 9:35
-3. "Venus Di Mildew" (Shorter) - 7:05
-4. "Ace Deuce Trey" - 7:10
-5. "3rd Time Around" - 6:10
All compositions by Hank Mobley except as indicated
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 18, 1965

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley — tenor saxophone
* Curtis Fuller — trombone
* Lee Morgan — trumpet
* McCoy Tyner — piano
* Bob Cranshaw — bass
* Billy Higgins — drums

sample & buy: A Caddy for Daddy

Hank Mobley - No Room For Squares (RVG) (1963) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - No Room For Squares (RVG) (1963)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

BN | RVG 24-bit remaster 2000

AMG:
Why any critic would think that Hank Mobley was at the end of his creative spark in 1963 -- a commonly if stupidly held view among the eggheads who do this for a living -- is ridiculous, as this fine session proves. By 1963, Mobley had undergone a transformation of tone. Replacing the scintillating airiness of his late-'50s sides was a harder, more strident, almost honking one, due in part to the influence of John Coltrane and in part to Mobley's deeper concentration on the expressing blues feeling in his trademark hard bop tunes. The CD version of this album sets the record straight, dropping some tunes form a session months earlier and replacing them with alternate takes of the title cut and "Carolyn" for historical integrity, as well as adding "Syrup and Biscuits" and "Comin' Back." Mobley assembled a crack band for this blues-drenched hard-rollicking set made up of material written by either him or trumpeter Lee Morgan. Other members of the ensemble were pianist Andrew Hill, drummer Philly Joe Jones, and bassist John Ore. The title track, which opens the set, is a stand-in metaphor for the rest: Mobley's strong and knotty off-minor front-line trading fours with Hill that moves into brief but aggressive soloing for he and Morgan and brings the melody back, altered with the changes from Hill. On Morgan's "Me 'n' You," an aggressive but short bluesed-out vamp backed by a mutated samba beat, comes right out of the Art Blakey book of the blues and is articulated wonderfully by Mobley's solo, which alternates between short, clipped phrases along the line of the changes and longer trill and ostinatos where the end of a musical line is dictated by his breath rather than a chord change. Morgan is in the pocket of the blue shades, coloring the ends of his lines with trills and short staccato bursts, warping them in Hill's open, chromatic voicings. All eight cuts here move with similar fluidity and offer a very gritty and realist approach to the roots of hard bop. Highly recommended.

Tracks:
1. "Three Way Split" – 7:49
2. "Carolyn" (Morgan) – 5:30
3. "Up a Step" – 8:31
4. "No Room for Squares" – 6:57
5. "Me 'N You" (Morgan) – 7:17
6. "Old World Imports" – 6:08
7. "Carolyn" [alternate take] (Morgan) – 5:35 Bonus track on CD
8. "No Room for Squares" [alternate take] (Mobley) – 6:45 Bonus track on CD
All compositions by Hank Mobley except as indicated
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, March 7 & October 2, 1963
Personnel:
* Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone (all tracks)
* Lee Morgan – trumpet (tracks 1,2,4,5,8,9)
* Donald Byrd – trumpet (tracks 3,6)
* Andrew Hill – piano (tracks 1,2,4,5,8,9)
* Herbie Hancock – piano (tracks 3,6)
* John Ore – bass (tracks 1,2,4,5,8,9)
* Butch Warren – bass (tracks 3,6)
* Philly Joe Jones – drums (all tracks)

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Hank Mobley - Hank (1957) (RVG) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - Hank (1957)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 230MB

Toshiba/EMI | RVG 24bit rem 2000 | rar +5% recovery

Dustygroove:
One of Hank Mobley's greatest sides from the hardbop years of the late 50s – a searing sextet session with a 3-horn frontline! The group features Mobley on tenor, John Jenkins on alto, and Donald Byrd on trumpet – plus a crackling rhythm group with Bobby Timmons, Wilbur Ware, and Philly Joe Jones. It's great to hear Timmons and Ware together, especially as both of them were at the height of their powers at this point in their careers – and Jenkins' soulful alto work is a key part of the set, and makes us wish he'd gotten in the studio more after this time. Great throughout, with 2 long titles that include "Fit For A Hanker" and "Hi Groove, Low Feedback", a nice take of Bud Powell's "Dance Of The Infidels", plus "Time After Time" and "Easy To Love"

Tracks:
1. "Fit for a Hanker" - 7:24
2. "Hi Groove, Low Feedback" - 9:56
3. "You'd Be So Easy to Love" (Porter) - 5:39
4. "Time After Time" (Cahn, Styne) - 6:48
5. "Dance of the Infidels" (Powell) - 7:54

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
* Donald Byrd: trumpet
* John Jenkins: alto saxophone
* Bobby Timmons: piano
* Wilbur Ware: bass
* Philly Joe Jones: drums

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Hank Mobley - Messages (1956) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - Messages (1956)

(Mobley's Message and Mobley's Second Message)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 420MB

Prestige | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
With the exception of Hank Mobley's original "Alternating Current," which was left out due to lack of space, this single CD has all of the music from the two Prestige LPs Mobley's Message and Hank Mobley's Second Message; a two-LP set from 1976 which had the same Messages title and catalog number, but also the complete program, is actually the preferred acquisition, but will be difficult to locate. The first session mostly features the fine tenor Hank Mobley jamming on four superior bop standards, including "Bouncing with Bud," "52nd Street Theme" and "Au Privavem" and his own "Minor Disturbance" in a quintet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor; altoist Jackie McLean has a strong cameo on "Au Privave." The second set, recorded a week later, is less of a jam session, with Mobley, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor essaying three of Mobley's now-obscure compositions, Benny Harris's "Crazeology" and the standards "These Are the Things I Love" and "I Should Care." The two dates give one a good example of Hank Mobley's playing prior to becoming a regular Blue Note artist, where he would create his greatest work.

Tracks:
01-Bouncing With Bud 6:57
02-52nd Street Theme 5:41
03-Minor Disturbance 6:15
04-Au Privave 7:31
05-Little Girl Blue 8:41
06-These Are The Thing I Love 6:37
07-Message From The Border 6:03
08-Xlento 5:36
09-The Latest 5:48
10-I Should Care 10:01
11-Crazeology 6:56

Personnel:
Bass - Doug Watkins
Drums - Art Taylor
Piano - Barry Harris , Walter Bishop
Saxophone - Hank Mobley , Jackie McLean
Trumpet - Donald Byrd , Kenny Dorham

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Hank Mobley 1956 - The Jazz Message of HM v1-2 (1956) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley 1956 - The Jazz Message of HM v1-2 (1956)

jazz | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Savoy | Denon remaster | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
v1__Other than a Blue Note date from the previous year, this CD contains tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's first two sessions as a leader. With trumpeter Donald Byrd, either Hank Jones or Ronnie Ball on piano, Wendell Marshall or Doug Watkins on bass, drummer Kenny Clarke and (on three numbers) the unusual altoist John LaPorta, Mobley performs a mixture of originals and standards. The results (highlighted by "There'll Never Be Another You," "When I Fall in Love" and "Budo") are a swinging hard bop date. Nothing all that unusual occurs and the CD clocks in at an average LP's length but the swinging music is easily recommended to straight-ahead jazz fans and (unlike many of Denon's Savoy reissues), these two sessions are brought back complete.
v2__Impressive lineups, both in the front line and the rhythm section, fuel the two 1956 sessions on this Savoy reissue.
The players are committed, the writing is good, and the performances reward repeated listening. The result is a worthwhile precursor to the industry-standard hard bop Mobley would later record for Blue Note.Lee Morgan, then 18, joins Mobley on two tracks that have pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor in the rhythm section. Even if Morgan at this time was audibly still growing as a trumpet player, his poise, execution, and resourceful imagination were already the tools of a master. Donald Byrd, on form and playing with crispness and authority, moves into the trumpet chair for the three remaining tracks. This time it's Barry Harris on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Watkins (again) on bass. The influence on Mobley of swing era tenors, from Lester Young to Illinois Jacquet, can be clearly heard on these tracks. Mobley's respect for and understanding of the pre-bebop style serve him well in his contribution to the development of the predominant jazz style that followed bebop. In addition to three Mobley originals, there is a blues by Thad Jones and another from Watkins. The standout track is Mobley's "Space Flight," a bright, up-tempo bop number that has memorable solos from Mobley, Byrd, Harris, and Clarke. The recording on this CD is very good but, as is common on Savoy reissues, the running time isn't long -- 32 minutes in the case of this jazz message.

v1
Tracks:
1. "There Will Never Be Another You" (Gordon, Warren) - 5:50
2. "Cattin'" - 4:38
3. "Madeline" - 4:42
4. "When I Fall in Love" (Heyman, Young) - 3:47
5. "Budo" (Davis, Powell) - 7:32
6. "I Married an Angel" (Hart, Rodgers) - 7:00
7. "The Jazz Message (Freedom for All)" (Cadena) - 8:01

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
* Donald Byrd: trumpet
* Ronnie Ball: piano (tracks 1-4)
* Horace Silver: piano (tracks 5-7)
* Doug Watkins: bass (tracks 1-4)
* Wendell Marshall: bass (tracks 5-7)
* Kenny Clarke: drums
* John LaPorta: alto saxophone (tracks 5-7)

v2
Tracks:
1. "Thad's Blues" (Jones) - 9:48
2. "Doug's Minor B' Ok" (Watkins) - 6:40
3. "B. for B.B." - 6:31
4. "Blues Number Two" - 5:00
5. "Space Flight" - 4:15

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
* Lee Morgan: trumpet (tracks 1 & 2)
* Donald Byrd: trumpet (tracks 3, 4 & 5)
* Hank Jones: piano (tracks 1 & 2)
* Barry Harris: piano (tracks 3, 4 & 5)
* Doug Watkins: bass
* Art Taylor: drums (tracks 1 & 2)
* Kenny Clarke: drums (tracks 3, 4 & 5)

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sample & buy v2

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Hank Mobley - Workout (RVG 2005) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - Workout (RVG 2005)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 370MB

BN | RVG 2005 |  rar +5% recovery

AMG:
This is one of the best-known Hank Mobley recordings, and for good reason. Although none of his four originals ("Workout," "Uh Huh," "Smokin'," "Greasin' Easy") caught on, the fine saxophonist is in top form. He jams on the four tunes, plus "The Best Things in Life Are Free," with an all-star quintet of young modernists -- guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones -- and shows that he was a much stronger player than his then-current boss Miles Davis seemed to think. This recommended CD reissue adds a version of "Three Coins in the Fountain" from the same date, originally released on Another Workout, to the original LP program.

Tracks:
1. "Workout" - 10:00
2. "Uh Huh" - 10:45
3. "Smokin'" - 7:28
4. "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (Brown, DeSylva, Henderson) - 5:16
5. "Greasin' Easy" - 6:59
6. "Three Coins in the Fountain" (Cahn, Styne) - 5:25

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley — tenor saxophone
* Grant Green — guitar
* Wynton Kelly — piano
* Paul Chambers — bass
* Philly Joe Jones — drums

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Hank Mobley - Roll Call (1960) (RVG) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - Roll Call (1960)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 390MB

BN | RVG 2002 24-bit rem | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
From the first moment when Art Blakey comes crashing in to establish a kinetic Latin groove on the eponymous opening song, Hank Mobley's Roll Call explodes with energy. The first horn heard here is actually Freddie Hubbard's trumpet, foreshadowing the prominent role that he would have in the sound of this album. The quintet all work together flawlessly here, but Hubbard particularly shines as he plays off of Mobley's fluid riffs and carries more than a few lines himself, sounding particularly athletic and effortless on the closing track, "The Breakdown." Mobley's performance throughout the recording is stylish without being restrained, and the strength of his songwriting shines on five of the album's six songs. A warm, laid-back, sweet version of "The More I See You" is also included, with a muted Hubbard sounding very much like Miles Davis. It is a nice complement to this collection of originals, which has often been overshadowed by Mobley's other late-'50s and early-'60s work but is definitely deserving of some attention of its own.

Tracks:
1. Roll Call
2. My Groove Your Move
3. Take Your Pick
4. Baptist Beat
5. More I See You
6. Breakdown
7. Baptist Beat (alt. take)

Personnel:
Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Wynton Kelly (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Blakey (drums).

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Hank Mobley - Another Workout (1961) (RVG) (eac-flac-cover)

Hank Mobley - Another Workout (1961) (RVG)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

BN/EMI | RVG 2006 rem | RAR +5% recovery

AMG:
This LP has material from 1961 that for no real reason went unreleased until 1985. One song, "Three Coins in a Fountain," is from the same session that resulted in tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's famous Workout session with guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The other five numbers three obscure Mobley originals, plus "I Should Care" and "Hello Young Lovers" are from the previously unheard December 5, 1961 session with the same personnel except for Green. Hank Mobley was in a prime period around this time, and all of his Blue Note recordings are well worth picking up.

Tracks:
01 - Out Of Joe's Bag 5:04
02 - I Should Care 7:39
03 - Gettin' And Jettin' 7:42
04 - Hank's Other Soul 8:41
05 - Hello, Young Lovers 8:03

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley — tenor saxophone
* Wynton Kelly — piano
* Paul Chambers — bass
* Philly Joe Jones — drums

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