Hank Mobley (LP)

Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley made his first Blue Note appearance in 1954 as a member of Horace Silver’s Jazz Messengers and began leading his own dates in 1955 which marked the start of a fruitful 15-year run on the label. Mobley was still establishing his unique voice as an improvisor with a sublimely lyrical flow on his early Blue Note sides including the 1957 sextet album Hank Mobley (BLP 1568) featuring fellow saxophonist Curtis Porter on alto and tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The set swings mightily from Porter’s opener “Mighty Moe And Joe” to Mobley’s “Double Exposure” with other highlights including a deep-in-the-pocket version of Milt Jackson’s classic “Bags’ Groove” and a lovely stroll through the Rodgers and Hart standard “Falling In Love With Love.”

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.