Hank Mobley Quartet – March 27 1955
Blue Note Records Biography of Hank Mobley
One of the Blue Note label’s definitive hard bop artists, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley remains somewhat underappreciated for his straightforward, swinging style. Any characterization of Mobley invariably begins with critic Leonard Feather’s assertion that he was the “middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone,” meaning that his tone wasn’t as aggressive and thick as John Coltrane or Sonny Rollins, but neither was it as soft and cool as Stan Getz or Lester Young. Instead, Mobley’s in-between, “round” (as he described it) sound was controlled and even, given over to subtlety rather than intense displays of emotion. Even if he lacked the galvanizing, mercurial qualities of the era’s great tenor innovators, Mobley remained consistently solid throughout most of his recording career. His solo lines were full of intricate rhythmic patterns that were delivered with spot-on precision, and he was no slouch harmonically either. As a charter member of Horace Silver’s Jazz Messengers, Mobley helped inaugurate the hard bop movement: jazz that balanced sophistication and soulfulness, complexity and earthy swing, and whose loose structure allowed for extended improvisations. As a solo artist, he began recording for Blue Note in the latter half of the ’50s, and hit his peak in the first half of the ’60s with hard bop cornerstones like Soul Station, No Room for Squares, and A Caddy for Daddy.
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| Hank Mobley at the 27 Match 1955 session Photos by Francis Wolff |
Henry “Hank” Mobley was born on July 7, 1930, in Eastman, GA, and grew up mostly in Elizabeth, NJ. Several family members played piano and/or church organ, and Mobley himself learned piano as a child. He switched to the saxophone at age 16, initially modeling his style on players like Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Don Byas, and Sonny Stitt. He soon started playing professionally in the area, and built enough of a reputation that trumpeter Clifford Brown recommended him for a job without having heard him play. That job was with Paul Gayten’s Newark-based R&B band, which he joined in 1949, doubling as a composer. He departed in 1951 and joined the house band at a Newark nightclub, where he played with pianist Walter Davis, Jr. and backed some of the era’s top jazz stars. That led to a job with Max Roach, who hired both Mobley and Davis after performing with them; they all recorded together in early 1953, at one of the earliest sessions to feature Roach as a leader. Meanwhile, Mobley continued to gig around his home area, playing with the likes of Milt Jackson, Tadd Dameron, and J.J. Johnson, among others; he also served two weeks in Duke Ellington’s orchestra in 1953.
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| Doug Watkins Photo by Francis Wolff |
Mobley spent much of 1954 performing and recording with Dizzy Gillespie. He left in September to join pianist Horace Silver’s group, which evolved into a quintet co-led by Art Blakey and dubbed the Jazz Messengers. Their groundbreaking first album for Blue Note, 1955’s Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, was a landmark in the genesis of hard bop, with its sophisticated solos and bright, almost funky rhythms. Mobley led his first session for Blue Note, The Hank Mobley Quartet, in 1955, and recorded for Savoy and Prestige during 1956. In the middle of that year, the original lineup of the Jazz Messengers split, with Blakey keeping the name and Silver forming a new group. Mobley stayed with Silver until 1957, by which time he had begun to record prolifically as a leader for Blue Note, completing eight albums’ worth of material over the next 16 months. Some of his best work, such as Hank Mobley and His All Stars and The Hank Mobley Quintet, was cut with a selection of old Messengers mates. Not all of his sessions were released at the time, but some began to appear as import reissues in the ’80s. Often composing his own material, Mobley was beginning to truly hit his stride with 1958’s Peckin’ Time, when a worsening drug problem resulted in an arrest that took him off the scene for a year.
Upon returning to music in 1959, Mobley oriented himself by rejoining Art Blakey in the Jazz Messengers for a short period. His comeback session as a leader was 1960’s classic Soul Station, near-universally acknowledged as his greatest recorded moment. Mobley cut two more high-quality hard bop albums, Roll Call and Workout, over 1960-1961, as well as some other sessions that went unreleased at the time. In 1961, Mobley caught what looked to be a major break when he was hired to replace John Coltrane in Miles Davis’ quintet. Unfortunately, the association was a stormy one; Mobley came under heavy criticism from the bandleader, and wound up leaving in 1962. He returned to solo recording with 1963’s No Room for Squares, often tabbed as one of his best efforts, before drug and legal problems again put him out of commission during 1964. Energized and focused upon his return, Mobley recorded extensively during 1965, showcasing a slightly harder-edged tone and an acumen for tricky, modal-flavored originals that challenged his sidemen. At the same time, Dippin’ found a funkier soul-jazz sound starting to creep into his work, an approach that reached its apex on the infectious A Caddy for Daddy later that year.
Mobley recorded steadily for Blue Note through the ’60s, offering slight variations on his approach, and continued to appear as a sideman on a generous number of the label’s other releases (especially frequent collaborator Lee Morgan). 1966’s A Slice of the Top found Mobley fronting a slightly larger band arranged by Duke Pearson, though it went unissued until 1979. After cutting the straightforward Third Season in 1967, Mobley embarked on a brief tour of Europe, where he performed with Slide Hampton. He returned to the U.S. to record the straight-ahead Far Away Lands and Hi Voltage that year, and tried his hand at commercially oriented jazz-funk on 1968’s Reach Out. Afterward, he took Hampton’s advice and returned to Europe, where he would remain for the next two years. 1969’s The Flip was recorded in Paris, and Mobley returned to the States to lead his final session for Blue Note, Thinking of Home, in 1970 (it wasn’t released until ten years later). He subsequently co-led a group with pianist Cedar Walton, which recorded the excellent Breakthrough in 1972.
Sadly, that would prove to be Mobley’s last major effort. Health problems forced him to retire in 1975, when he settled in Philadelphia. He was barely able to even play his horn for fear of rupturing a lung; by the dawn of the ’80s, he was essentially an invalid. In 1986, he mustered up the energy to work on a limited basis with Duke Jordan; however, he died of pneumonia not long after, on May 30, 1986. During Mobley’s heyday, most critics tended to compare him unfavorably to Sonny Rollins, or dismiss him for not being the innovator that Coltrane was. However, in the years that followed Mobley’s death, Blue Note hard bop enjoyed a positive reappraisal; with it came a new appreciation for Mobley’s highly developed talents as a composer and soloist, instead of a focus on his shortcomings. Steve Huey
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| Hank Mobley and Horace Silver Photo by Francis Wolff |
Eugene St. John: Hank Mobley Quartet Liner Notes: BLP 5066
HANK MOBLEY may never "make" the cover of Time magazine. His name may never be on the lips of the "chi-chi" set, and it is doubtful to assume that he will switch to Cronkhite Whiskey and become a Man of Distinction. But from his work on this record, Hank Mobley certainly should be recognized by the general public, (as he is now by those "on the jazz scene") as one of the most important of today's young tenor saxophonists.
Hank Mobley was born on July 7, 1930. He was brought up in Elizabeth, N. J. His grandmother played piano and organ, and his uncle played piano, so when he was small he had a liberal amount of piano lessons. When Hank was 16, an illness kept him in the house for several months. His uncle had the idea to get him an instrument to help occupy his time, and bought Hank a saxophone. Later, Hank tried to enter a music school in Newark, but couldn't, because he was not a resident. With his grandmother's help, he got books on music, and studied theory and harmony at home. Two years later, when he was 19, Hank started to play with local bands, and then went on the road with Paul Gayton's six piece rhythm and blues band. He stayed with Gayton's band for 9 months, and then worked around Newark with Lester Young and Dexter Gordon. In 1951 he joined Max Roach. He played on and off with Max until 1953, when Dizzy Gillespie hired him to play with his band. It was during the association with Max and Dizzy that Hank started cultivating his own style. In 1954 he joined The Messengers, (Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Doug Watkins, and Kenny Dorham) with whom he was heard on previous Blue Note LPs (5058, 5062).
The set opens with a fast-driving original titled Hank's Prank. After a short intro, Hank starts moving at a quick pace. His fluid horn rides effortlessly through a series of crisp and effective phrases which keep you interested all the way.
My Sin, a slow ballad written by Mobley, is in a dreamy, pensive mood. Hank delivers the message of the mood with warmth and sincerity, and Horace Silver takes a very pretty piano solo near the end of the Avila and Tequila, another original by Mobley, is a mixture of exciting Latin and jazz rhythms. Hank's buoyant horn swings throughout, while he shows to good advantage his wide scope of ideas. The side is further embellished by some tasty and intricate drumming by Art Blakey.
Walkin' The Fence opens with a Horace Silver piano intro which sounds like a musical cartoon of Count Basie for four bars. It then goes into a medium blues, in which Hank, Horace and Art very effectively take turns in feeding each other fresh ideas. Doug Watkins supplies a groovy beat throughout.
Love For Sale, the Cole Porter standard, is an excellent showcase of Hank Mobley's artistry, and his mastery of his instrument. The tune is played at quite a rapid pace, yet when Hank takes off on an improvisation his ideas are always exciting, but never out of control.
The final side of the set, Just Coolin', is an item set in a minor mood. A bit of stop and go rhythm is included for flavoring. Hank, changing tempos several times, really "swings" throughout.
The rhythm section of Horace Silver, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey can be highly lauded for its work on this album. They are cohesive and forceful, yet never overemphatic.
Of late there has been a great deal of discussion concerning "What Can Be Done To Improve Modern Jazz", "Where Is It Going", and "What Can We Do To Make It Go The Right Way?" Some critics say it lies in structure, some say fuller arrangements, and still others think that a closer association with classical music is needed. However, I'll go along with the theory that the future of modern jazz lies completely in the facility and imagination of the individual soloist. Take the great tenormen, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and Stan Getz. They all possessed these qualities, and they all have been monumental figures in modern jazz. They all worked with the greatest bands of their era. So did Hank Mobley. They all learned from the leaders of their era. So did Hank Mobley. As a teenager, he spent his allowance money, and most of his spare time in digging the "Bird" and "Bud".
Yes, Hank Mobley has facility, imagination, intelligence and background. He has improved consistently to the point where he has become a leader in modern school of tenors. Whenever The Messengers play, Art Blakey invariably introduces Hank Mobley as "the baby of the group", but this baby "swings", he is growing up.
—EUGENE ST. JEAN
Cover Design by HERMANSADER/MILES
Photo by FRANCIS WOLFF
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| Horace Silver Photo by Francis Wolff |
Down Beat 30 November 1955 Volume 22 Issue 24
Hank Mobley’s first LP under his own name also includes the strongly swinging rhythm section of Horace Silver, Doug Watkins, and Art Blakey. (If trumpeter Kenny Dorham had been present, you would have the full personnel of the Jazz Messengers, one of the most passionately swinging of current modern groups.) Mobley wrote the five originals, and while all are competent and leave all kinds of space for blowing, I doubt if the lines will last memorable compositions that other people will (in contrast to the writing of John Lewis and Gigi Gryce).
Mobley has worked in recent years with Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, and now the Messengers. His is the hard sound and deeply swinging rhythmic sense and rhythmic conception of the Rollins-Stitt-via-Bird corps. Hank is a good sideman, sometimes better than good, but he does not yet have the imaginative scope and variety to sustain a whole LP of his own. Giving him his own date here is a goof similar to Victor's in the ease of the also talented Pete Jolly.
Yet Mobley is certainly worth hearing, and so especially is that wailing rhythm section and the incisive solos by Silver. Because of Mobley's warmth and this LP came close to four stars, and is, in any case, recommended as a good example of one of the major approaches in modem jazz. Very good
recorded sound. (Blue Note LP 5066)
Metronome December 1955
Hank, Horace Silver, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey, The Messengers, but without Kenny Dorham, dig through these six selections, five of which were written by Mobley. Horace plays fine piano (right hand only) throughout. Watkins and Blakey swing hard: Art has a nice bit on Love. And Mobley does well, better than he has in the past. But he's still largely a derivative tenor-man, still "growing up" as the album liner admits, and he wasn't really ready for this LP of his own, not even in this day of the record- rush. For that reason his ballad outing, Sin, is his most competent solo, while the up-tempo Love, hard enough for any tenor at that tempo, is very weak. (Blue Note LP 5066)
Hank Mobley, tenor sax; Horace Silver, piano; Doug Watkins, bass; Art Blakey, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, March 27, 1955
tk.2, Walkin' The Fence (alt)
tk.3, Walkin' The Fence, Blue Note BLP 5066
tk.5, Avila & Tequila, Blue Note BLP 5066
tk.6, Hank's Pranks (alt)
tk.8, Hank's Pranks, Blue Note BLP 5066
tk.10, Just Coolin', Blue Note BLP 5066
tk.12, My Sin, Blue Note BLP 5066
tk.14, Love For Sale, Blue Note BLP 5066
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