Hank Mobley – Tenor Saxophone – Composer
(July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986)
I first discovered the saxophone of Hank Mobley one night in 2014 while exploring jazz. That night I listened to the music of Blue Mitchell, Wynton Kelly, and Hank Mobley. Of the three, Mobley’s album Soul Station was my favorite! You can read more about it in A Jazzy Night with Music from Blue, Wynton, and Hank and Friends.
Discovering the Music of Hank Mobley and His Bandmates
Here’s some background from Wikipedia:
Henry “Hank” Mobley (July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986) was an American hard bop and soul jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the “middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone” — a metaphor referring to his tone, which was neither as aggressive as John Coltrane nor as mellow as Stan Getz. His style was laid-back, subtle, and melodic. Critic Stacia Proefrock called him “one of the most underrated musicians of the bop era.”
Between his 1955 debut The Hank Mobley Quartet and 1972’s Breakthrough, Mobley recorded 30 albums as a leader and many more as a sideman. He performed with jazz greats including Art Blakey, Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Jimmy Smith, and many more.
This morning, I listened to tracks from the Hank Mobley Quintet, one of his eight albums from 1957 alone! It was recorded at Van Gelder Studio with a stellar lineup: Art Farmer (trumpet), Horace Silver (piano), Doug Watkins (bass), and Art Blakey (drums).
Exploring Peckin’ Time from Hank Mobley
Later, I put on Peckin’ Time while reading — and two things immediately stood out: the trumpet and the piano! No wonder — the session featured Lee Morgan and Wynton Kelly. Here’s what AllMusic’s Steve Leggett had to say:
The session was recorded February 9, 1958, during a whirlwind year for Mobley. Joining him were Lee Morgan (trumpet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Charlie Persip (drums). All but one tune — a cover of Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low” — were Mobley originals. The standouts are “Peckin’ Time” and “Stretchin’ Out,” both showcasing Mobley’s melodic writing and graceful style.
Read the full review
A Short
Hank Mobley Playlist Featuring “Peckin’ Time” and “Stretchin’ Out”
Happy Birthday, Hank Mobley — wherever you are! Thanks for the soulful tone, the swing, and the songs that keep on giving.
Check Out More of the music of Hank Mobley with these CDs. These CDs have been added to my music library after writing this post:
Hank Mobley and his AllStars
Hank Mobley A Slice of the Top
Peckin’ Time Hank Mobley – Lee Morgan