Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley began recording in New York in 1953 as part of the Max Roach Sextette. The session was for Debut, a label founded a year earlier by Roach, bassist Charles Mingus and Mingus's then wife Celia. Mobley's first recording session for Blue Note came a year later as a sideman on The Horace Silver Quintet Vol. 1.
In March 1955, Mobley recorded his first 10-inch Blue Note album as a leader—Hank Mobley Quartet. He was backed by the same sensational rhythm section that appeared on the Horace Silver album mentioned above: Horace Silver (p), Doug Watkins (b) and Art Blakey (d).
Mobley remains the unsung hero of the tenor saxophone in the 1950s. His sound was slippery and smoky, and he was fast and rich with ideas. While Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and John Coltrane were the emerging solo stars, the next tier down was Mobley and Harold Land, both of whom aren't taken nearly as seriously as they should be today.
Here's the full 10-inch Hank Mobley Quartet without ad interruptions...
In March 1955, Mobley recorded his first 10-inch Blue Note album as a leader—Hank Mobley Quartet. He was backed by the same sensational rhythm section that appeared on the Horace Silver album mentioned above: Horace Silver (p), Doug Watkins (b) and Art Blakey (d).
Mobley remains the unsung hero of the tenor saxophone in the 1950s. His sound was slippery and smoky, and he was fast and rich with ideas. While Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and John Coltrane were the emerging solo stars, the next tier down was Mobley and Harold Land, both of whom aren't taken nearly as seriously as they should be today.
Here's the full 10-inch Hank Mobley Quartet without ad interruptions...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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