Hank Mobley - Advance Notion (1967)

To these ears, this is one of those quintessential Blue Note records and with the likes of J Mac, Bob Cranshaw, Billy Higgins, John Hicks and Horace Silver veteran Blue Mitchell alongside the Mobe, the swing is relentless.

Listen to Billy Higgins’ energy on this entire track, as well as his sympathetic snare behind Mobley’s solo. It’s a tour de force. 

Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan, with James Spaulding looking on during Mobley’s A Slice of the Top session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, March 18 1966 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Hank Mobley and McCoy Tyner at Mobley’s A Slice Of The Top session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, March 18 1966 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Hank Mobley during his The Turnaround! session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, March 7 1963 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Hank Mobley during his The Turnaround! session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, March 7 1963 (photo by Francis Wolff)

atane:

3 Tenors - Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane and Hank Mobley recording ‘A Blowin’ Session’ in 1957. A superb album.

Photo by Francis Wolff

What a lineup.

Cedar Walton and Hank Mobley during Mobley’s Third Season session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, February 24 1967 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Hank Mobley featuring the lucky yellow turtleneck he wore during his Hi Voltage and Reach Out! sessions, Englewood Cliffs NJ, October 9 1967 and January 19 1968 (photos by Francis Wolff)

atane:

tornandfrayed:

Hank Mobley by Mitchell Seidel.

I’ve never seen this picture of Hank Mobley.

Late-in-life Mobley; a rare capture indeed.

Grant Green - Speak Low (1965)

From Ira Gitler’s liner notes:

Hank [Mobley] is very much with it on Speak Low, the only up-tempo of the date. After Green spins out the line, Mobley takes off into a lean, declarative solo in which he speaks neither low nor loud but with confidence and authority. (As a measure of his growth, it is interesting to compare this version with a slower Speak Low he did with Lee Morgan on Peckin’ Time (Blue Note 1574) back in the ’50s.) Green is next with his incisive single line; his rhythmic alternations are marvelous as he manipulates the beat. [Elvin] Jones manages to cram many trenchant thoughts into a relatively short solo before Green returns to punch to a fitting climax and fade.

Mobley is ON.