Hank Mobley Mobley's Message Black Vinyl Editoin

This is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley’s first release on the Prestige label, after one previous Blue Note release. Here he is joined by Donald Byrd (trumpet), Barry Harris (piano), Doug Watkins (bass) and Art Taylor (drum) with a guest appearance from Jackie McLean (alto saxophone) on one track.

As one might expected, the program is quite « beboppy », with the band running through bop standards like Bud Powell « Bouncing with Bud », Monk’s « 52nd Street » and Parker’s « Au Privave ».

Mobley’s supremely confident solos are highlights of these tracks and he swings through the rather plain arrangements of « Bouncing with Bud » and « Au Privave » , with exceptional phrasing and melodic finesse, through Byrd’s and Harris’s solos as satisfying as well.

« 52nd Street » is taken at a very quick tempo and has a short horn interlude between the solos.

It’s a small detail but it’s enough to elevate the piece beyond being just a blowing tune. Donald Byrd seems to struggle a little with the tempo, but Mobley and Harris excel. Jackie McLean takes a nice guest solo on « Au Privave » through for the first half of his solo a recording malfunction gives his sax an odd, muted sound.

Byrd sits out for a lovely ballad version of Rodgers’ and Hart’s « Little Girl Blue ». Mobley’s affecting read of the melody manages to recall the sentimentality of the old tenor ballad masters, while maintaining his own tone and distinctive melodic flair. Two Mobley’s originals round out the record with more bebop attitude. « Minor Disturbance » has a catchy melody and somewhat interesting changes but « Alternating Current » has no written melody and instead jumps right into solos and trading from the band.