Of the seven songs on this Blue Note date, four are more common than the other three because they contain solos by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and have therefore been reissued more often. Actually there are quite a few solos in the all-star sextet (which includes the bassist-leader, Coltrane, trumpeter Donald Byrd, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver, and drummer Philly Joe Jones) and all of the players get their chances to shine on this fairly spontaneous hard bop set. Coltrane's two obscure compositions ("Nita" and "Just for the Love") are among the more memorable tunes and are worth reviving. "Tale of the Fingers" features the quintet without Coltrane, the rhythm section stretches out on "Whims of Chambers," and "Tale of the Fingers" is a showcase for Chambers' bowed bass. This is a fine effort and would be worth picking up by straight-ahead jazz fans even if John Coltrane had not participated. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Omicron 7:17
Written-By – Donald Byrd
2 Whims Of Chambers 4:05
Written-By – Paul Chambers
3 Nita 6:31
Written-By – John Coltrane
4 We Six 7:40
Written-By – Donald Byrd
5 Dear Ann 4:19
Written-By – Paul Chambers
6 Tale Of The Fingers 4:42
Written-By – Paul Chambers
7 Just For The Love 3:41
Written-By – John Coltrane
Credits :
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Piano – Horace Silver
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
Trumpet – Donald Byrd
Taken
from "scraps" or "leftovers" of three different sessions, Dig It!
presents distinct sides of Red Garland's straight-ahead jazz persona
that manifests in trio, quartet, and quintet formats. One track was
issued as led by drummer Art Taylor (Taylor's Wailers), ostensibly John
Coltrane in Garland's quartet apart from their association with Miles
Davis, and two separate recordings have trumpeter Donald Byrd added to
comprise a five-piece combo. Memphis bassist George Joyner (aka Jamil
Nasser) is on three cuts, with Taylor present throughout. Though the
total time is shy of 34 minutes, this recording represents all of these
musicians in transition from their sideman associations to the
leadership roles they were in the process of wresting hold of. What have
always been Garland's strong suits -- high-class discourse and fleet
and fluid bebop -- are heartily dished out with no trace of arrogance.
On the swing-era standard "Crazy Rhythm," the Garland trio with bassist
Paul Chambers and Taylor plays a concise, hard-charging version with no
wasted motion and the two-fisted chord progressions of the pianist.
Coltrane's feature during Jimmy Heath's hard bop icon "C.T.A." is a bit
tentative, as he plays only eighth notes in a reserved fashion. But the
quintet take of "Billie's Bounce" has Trane rippin' it up in a fervor
that doubles the note volume, animated and fast, while also expressing a
soulful side. Byrd is fairly inconsequential, only soloing on this and
the 16-minute vintage blues "Lazy Mae." It's Garland who takes liberties
on this slow, languorous, sleepy-time jam, where he evokes the classic
sounds of Teddy Wilson, Earl "Fatha" Hines, and especially the elegant
Erroll Garner for a full eight minutes, also quoting the pop tune "Send
for Me" and the rambling staircase triplet midsection of "After Hours"
before Coltrane and Byrd settle into their own bluesy solos. Because of
the lack of extra material or alternate takes, one might buy this just
for the good music, but also the Rudy Van Gelder remastering factor that
allows you to hear these genius mmusicians cleaner and brighter. Michael G. Nastos
With sights set firmly set upon the blues, this is bedrock Red Garland, aimed squarely down the middle of his most fertile period. Not everything here is a blues, but they might as well be, given the sameness of mood and approach in this selection of small-group blowing sessions. Wherever you go on Red's Blues, you can't miss Garland's distinctive block chords and light-handed right-handed bop patterns recorded in the soft-focused Van Gelder studio manner, all of which jazz fans would hear constantly down the road in the '60s. And not only that, almost all of the tunes are in the keys of B flat or C, which could make this disc useful for background if not extended listening. Nevertheless, the personnel is often stellar; John Coltrane and Donald Byrd turn up on "Birks' Works," and Arnett Cobb saunters through "Black Velvet" (better known as "Don'Cha Go Way Mad"), Coleman Hawkins is in fine funky form on "Red Beans," and Ray Barretto's congas light up one of the few jazz compositions ever named after a critic ("Ralph J. Gleason Blues"). The 75-minute disc, all of whose contents have been issued on CD before, opens with a long, majestic Garland meditation on "See See Rider" -- and that pretty much sets the tone. Richard S. Ginell Tracklist & Credits :
Pianist Red Garland's very relaxed, marathon blues solo on the 16-minute
"Soul Junction" is the most memorable aspect of this CD reissue. With
such soloists as tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and trumpeter Donald
Byrd, plus steady support provided by bassist George Joyner and drummer
Art Taylor, Garland gets to stretch out on the title cut and four jazz
originals, including "Birk's Works" and "Hallelujah." Coltrane is in
excellent form, playing several stunning sheets of sound solos. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Soul Junction 15:26
Written-By – Red Garland
2 Woody'N You 6:48
During his short, prolific, and equally tempestuous career, bassist Oscar Pettiford made potent modern jazz that stands the test of time, and is equal to or as brilliant as any you can name. These reissues, mainly from Bethlehem label recordings, showcase large ensembles and are a prelude to the orchestra Pettiford would lead before his untimely death in a European bicycle accident in 1960. There is an octet and a nonet from the Bethlehem dates, quite different and very strong. With trumpeters Clark Terry and Joe Wilder, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, alto saxophonist Dave Schildkraut, clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton, and baritone saxophonist Danny Bank, Pettiford is able to use these members of Duke Ellington's orchestra in a manner much like Duke. There's a jam for Hamilton on Ellington's "Jack the Bear," Pettiford's reverent Jewish-sounding theme "Tamalpais," Terry's hard bopper "Chuckles" with Bank taking the lead, a typical "Mood Indigo" with Pettiford's walking bass up front in the mix, and a darker, moodier "Time on My Hands." The effortlessness of the ensemble is easy to hear, but does not really tell what Pettiford and his big band would do in the not-too-distant future. The next nine tracks, with considerable help from alto saxophonist and arranger Gigi Gryce, give definitive foreshadowing as to the charts that set Pettiford's music in an advanced stance. With trumpeters Donald Byrd and Ernie Royal, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, multi-instrumentalist Jerome Richardson, and Gryce, a higher bar is set from a harmonic standpoint. "Titoro" is an outstanding merging of post-bop, Latin spice, and emerging progressive modernism, topped off by a scintillating solo from pianist Don Abney. The trend continues on the predatory ambush sounds of "Scorpio," the wild bird flute of Richardson on "Oscalypso," the bluesy "Don't Squawk" (a change of pace and a feature for Richardson again on flute), the happy chart "Kamman's A-Coming," Pettiford's cello feature "Another Seventh Heaven," and the famous bass-led "Bohemia After Dark." All are stellar examples of things to come in the late '50s. There are six quintet tracks with just French horn icon Julius Watkins and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse in the front line, ranging from the galloping bop of Gerry Mulligan's "Sextette" to the well-known tuneful melody "Tricotism" with horns comping over Pettiford's lead bassline, and the solid bop of "Cable Car" and "Rides Again," both tunes that should be standards. The CD kicks off with two tracks originally on the Swing label out of France, featuring pianist Henri Renaud and a sextet with Max Roach on drums, guitarist Tal Farlow, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, and trombonist Kai Winding. These two tunes are from a session documented on the previous Classics Pettiford reissue, 1951-1954: another happy Mulligan bopper ("E Lag") and the Charlie Parker-like "Rhumblues" (similar to "My Little Suede Shoes"). 1954-1955 is a must-have for mainstream jazz fans, and a fully representative document of what Pettiford was capable of as a player and leader. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist + Credits :
Ambitious, atonal, challenging -- all are accurate descriptions of Dimensions & Extensions, Sam Rivers' fourth album for Blue Note. Rivers remains grounded in hard bop structure, working with a sextet featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet), James Spaulding (alto saxophone, flute), Julian Priester (trombone), Cecil McBee (bass), and Steve Ellington (drums), but he explodes the boundaries of the form with difficult, dissonant compositions. With his unique, mercurial tone and edgy solos, he keeps pushing the sextet in different directions. It's intense, cerebral music, but since it has distinct themes and strong rhythms, the forays into free jazz, dissonant harmonies, and unpredictable tonal textures are actually quite accessible. Rivers simply burns on each track, whether playing tenor, soprano, or flute. Byrd doesn't display the wild imagination of Rivers, yet he keeps the pace with alternately languid and biting solos. Similarly, each of the remaining musicians makes a lasting impression with his individual time in the spotlight. With music as risky at this, it's forgivable that it occasionally meanders (especially on the slower numbers) but, overall, Dimensions & Extensions offers more proof that Sam Rivers was one of the early giants of the avant-garde. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1 Precis 5:18
2 Paean 5:20
3 Effusive Melange 5:45
4 Involution 7:10
5 Afflatus 6:25
6 Helix 5:30
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute – James Spaulding
Bass – Cecil McBee
Drums – Steve Ellington
Producer – Alfred Lion
Producer [For Release] – Michael Cuscuna
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Composed By – Sam Rivers
Trombone – Julian Priester
Trumpet – Donald Byrd
A soul survivor in every sense of the term, this alto saxophonist is one of the few remaining jazz artists who made a major impact on the jazz community via an extensive run with producer Alfred Lion and the Blue Note label (Horace Silver being another Blue Note legend that comes to mind). From his first recordings for the label with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, it was clear that Lou Donaldson put melody and sound at a premium, coming up with an amalgam that combined the creamy smoothness of Johnny Hodges with the quicksilver bop inflections of Charlie Parker.
Over the course of some 20 albums that Donaldson would cut for Blue Note beginning with his first sessions in 1953, you can trace the course of popular jazz styles, from bop inflected quintets to soul jazz organ combos. The majority of this new six disc set covers the type of bebop fare that is the core of Donaldson's musical persona and much of this material has been available previously on compact disc, although there are a few items that could only be found previously on pricey Japanese imports.
For the record, the albums included herein are Wailing with Lou, Swing and Soul, Lou Takes Off, Blues Walk, LD + 3, The Time Is Right, Sunny Side Up, Light-Foot, Gravy Train, and Midnight Sun.
Seven of the original sessions feature Donaldson in stripped down quartet formats, with conga player Ray Barretto added on occasion. Pianist Herman Foster is a mainstay on several of these dates and he shares a strong affinity with our leading man, especially on the albums Swing and Soul and Light-Foot. Of course, the cream of the crop in this category has to be Blues Walk, a certifiable Blue Note gem with bop ditties such as 'Move' and 'Callin' All Cats' mixing beautifully with lush ballad as found on 'The Masquerade Is Over' and 'Autumn Nocturne.' Never before available in the U.S. on disc, the transcendent L.D. + 3 should be considered the sleeper of these quartet/quintet sides, with Gene Harris and the Three Sounds helping to cast a bluish hue that finds Donaldson at his most sublime. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to suggest that this session alone is worth the price of admission.
The rest of the set finds Donaldson working with larger groups, starting with 1957's Lou Takes Off. Strictly a blowing session, the four extended performances allow Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, and Donaldson to stretch out at length, with the rhythm section of Sonny Clark , George Joyner, and Art Taylor booting things along at a medium tempo for the most part. For Wailing With Lou, The Time Is Right, and Sunny Side Up, things revert to a quintet format that places trumpet and alto as the lead voices. The latter two albums are excellent Blue Note dates of the period that make the most of pianist Horace Parlan's bluesy grass roots approach. Plus, trumpeters Blue Mitchell and Bill Hardman make perfect foils to Donaldson in that each has a lyrical style that meshes beautifully with altoist's own melodic muse.
Closing this durable set and serving as a signpost of groovier things to come, namely the organ combo records that Donaldson would launch into beginning with The Natural Soul, 1960's Midnight Sun and the following year's Gravy Train, wrap up this set in a funky vein with Barretto (and Alec Dorsey on Gravy Train ) back to add a little percussive spice. Pieces like 'Dog Walk,' 'Twist Time,' and 'Gravy Train' are modern blues numbers with just a touch of soul and a flavor that would make them jukebox classics at the time—their crossover appeal was very strong.
In typical Mosaic fashion, this set is housed in a 12 x 12 inch box (although the company now is not fastening the top and bottom sections of the box; the top simply slips on top of the bottom half). Along with the 24-bit sound in this package, a 16-page booklet includes original session photographs by Francis Wolff and commentary by Bob Blumenthal. All recordings are available solely through Mosaic Records: 35 Melrose Place; Stamford, CT 06902; (203) 327-7111.
Wailing With Lou is an appropriate title for this enjoyable set of straight-ahead bop. Whether he's riding the propulsive rhythms of "Caravan" or settling down into a ballad, Donaldson takes the center stage with his surprisingly full alto tone. He still displays a clear Charlie Parker influence, but he is beginning to break free and develop his own style. In particular, he relies on bluesy runs more than Bird, which give his music a soulful edge. But what makes Wailing With Lou so enjoyable is the hot interplay between Donaldson, trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Herman Foster, bassist Peck Morrison and drummer Art Taylor. All five musicians give enthusiastic, infectious performances. There's nothing out of the ordinary here -- just hard-driving bop and sensitive ballads, which are sure to please fans of the style. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1 L.D. Blues 5'20
Lou Donaldson
2 Caravan 5'57
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Juan Tizol
3 Old Folks 6'20
Dedette Lee Hill / Willard Robison
4 That Good Old Feeling 6'50
Lou Donaldson
5 Move It 5'53
Lou Donaldson
6 There is No Greater Love 6'53
Isham Jones / Marty Symes
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Bass – 'Peck' Morrison
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Herman Foster
Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Donald Byrd
The influence of Charlie Parker can be heard in virtually every modern jazz musician, particularly players of the alto saxophone. Although considered to be one of "Bird's children," Lou Donaldson absorbed and synthesized other pre-Parker influences, such as Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter. This recording marks a period in his development prior to a stylistic shift away from bop and toward a stronger rhythm and blues emphasis. Three up-tempo tunes are pure bebop; the remaining number is a medium blues in B flat, quite characteristic of the hard bop period. The front line on this set includes Donald Byrd and Curtis Fuller; the rhythm section is Sonny Clark, George Joyner, and Art Taylor. Overall, Lou Takes Off breaks no new musical ground, but it is a solid, swinging session of high-caliber playing. [An edition remastered by Rudy Van Gelder was issued in 2008.] Lee Bloom
Tracklist :
1 Sputnik 10:05
Lou Donaldson
2 Dewey Square 7:16
Charlie Parker
3 Strollin' In 14:34
Lou Donaldson
4 Groovin' High 6:22
Dizzy Gillespie
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Bass – Jamil Nasser
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Sonny Clark
Recorded By [Recording Engineer], Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trombone – Curtis Fuller
Trumpet – Donald Byrd
This is a typically remarkable box set from Mosaic. The six-CD limited-edition package has all of tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's recordings as a leader for Blue Note from a three-year period, all of the music originally included in the albums titled The Hank Mobley Quartet, Hank Mobley Sextet, Hank Mobley & His All-Stars, Hank Mobley Quintet, Hank, Hank Mobley, Curtain Call, Poppin', and Peckin' Time; not a lot of imagination went into these records' original titles. There is only one previously unissued selection (the alternate take of "Barrel of Funk"), but two of the albums were only out previously in Japan, and most of the others had not been previously available on CD. Mobley, an underrated player with a distinctive sound (influenced at times by Sonny Rollins), would continue to grow as an improviser and composer throughout the 1960s, but even on his earliest date here, he is a strong (if unsung) soloist. Featured along with the leader is a who's who of 1950s hard bop, including trumpeters Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Bill Hardman, Kenny Dorham, and Art Farmer, pianists Horace Silver, Bobby Timmons, Sonny Clark, and Wynton Kelly, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassists Doug Watkins, Paul Chambers, Wilbur Ware, and Jimmy Rowser, and drummers Art Blakey, Charlie Persip, Philly Joe Jones, and Art Taylor. A must for Hank Mobley and 1950s Blue Note fans, but this deluxe box (released in 1998) promises to go out of print quickly. Scott Yanow
All Tracks & Credits : 
This set features four different sessions which tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded as a leader before he got to Blue Note label. Recorded in 1953 and 1956, Mobley is in four distinct settings here. The first two sessions are with Max Roach on drums, and one has a front line with Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto, Franklin Skeete on bass, and Walter Davis, Jr. on piano. The second with Roach, also from that year, strips away the other horns into a quartet. This material is notable for its three Mobley compositions -- "Kismet," "Mobleyization," and "Orientation," as well as several by Roach, including the stellar "Cou-Manchi Cou." The latter material is significant because Mobley's sidemen include drummer Kenny Clarke, and Donald Byrd, as well as two different pianists (depending on the session), either Barry Harris or Ronnie Ball. Doug Watkins swings hard in the bass chair on both sessions. Mobley's compositional chops are way up here, and the interplay between the two is remarkable. They dovetail, go head to head, and complement each other as the hard bop wunderkinds they were, with the sheer joy of invention and competition everywhere present. This pairing of front-line players is, perhaps, the reason the folks at Jazz Factory chose to place the Byrd and Clarke material first on the disc, despite the fact that it was recorded later than the Roach sides. In any case, it's all very fine indeed, and brings to light some little-known early Mobley.
>| This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' |<
Tracklist :
1 There Will Never Be Another You 5:49
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
2 Cattin' 4:36
Hank Mobley
3 Madeline 4:41
Hank Mobley
4 When I Fall in Love 3:45
Edward Heyman / Victor Young
5 B. For B.B. 6:29
Hank Mobley
6 Space Flight 4:13
Hank Mobley
7 Blues Number Two 4:57
Hank Mobley
8 Orientation 2:53
Hank Mobley
9 Mobleyzation 2:45
Hank Mobley
10 Glow Worm 2:29
Paul Lincke / S. Wright
11 Sfax 2:19
Max Roach
12 Just One of Those Things 3:11
Cole Porter
13 Cou Manchi-Cou 3:04
Max Roach
14 Kismet 2:42
Hank Mobley
15 Chi-Chi 3:03
Charlie Parker
16 I'm a Fool to Want You 3:16
Joel Herron / Frank Sinatra / Jack Wolf
17 Drum Conversation 2:41
Max Roach
With the exception of Hank Mobley's original "Alternating Current," which was left out due to lack of space, this single CD has all of the music from the two Prestige LPs Mobley's Message and Hank Mobley's Second Message; a two-LP set from 1976 which had the same Messages title and catalog number, but also the complete program, is actually the preferred acquisition, but will be difficult to locate. The first session mostly features the fine tenor Hank Mobley jamming on four superior bop standards, including "Bouncing with Bud," "52nd Street Theme" and "Au Privavem" and his own "Minor Disturbance" in a quintet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor; altoist Jackie McLean has a strong cameo on "Au Privave." The second set, recorded a week later, is less of a jam session, with Mobley, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor essaying three of Mobley's now-obscure compositions, Benny Harris's "Crazeology" and the standards "These Are the Things I Love" and "I Should Care." The two dates give one a good example of Hank Mobley's playing prior to becoming a regular Blue Note artist, where he would create his greatest work. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Bouncing with Bud 6:57
Bud Powell
2 52nd Street Theme 5:41
Thelonious Monk
3 Minor Disturbance 6:15
Hank Mobley
4 Au Privave 7:31
Charlie Parker
5 Little Girl Blue 8:41
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6 These Are the Things I Love 6:37
Harold Barlow / Lewis Harris
7 Message from the Border 6:03
Hank Mobley
8 Xlento 5:36
Hank Mobley
9 The Latest 5:48
Hank Mobley
10 I Should Care 10:01
Sammy Cahn / Axel Stordahl / Paul Weston
11 Crazeology 6:56
Benny Harris
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean (tracks: 4)
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Barry Harris (tracks: 1 to 5), Walter Bishop (tracks: 7 to 11)
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Donald Byrd (tracks: 1 to 4), Kenny Dorham (tracks: 6 to 11)
Saxophonist Hank Mobley's 1956 date for Prestige, Mobley's Message, is an often overlooked gem of the era. Joining Mobley here is an all-star cast of musicians including trumpeter Donald Byrd, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. Essentially a high-energy blowing session, the album features some stellar bop-oriented improvisation and is well worth seeking out. AllMusic
Tracklist :
1 Bouncin' With Bud 7:01
Written-By – Bud Powell
2 52nd Street Theme 5:44
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
3 Minor Disturbance 6:19
Written-By – Hank Mobley
4 Au Privave 7:34
Alto Saxophone, Guest – Jackie McLean
Written-By – Charlie Parker
5 Little Girl Blue 8:45
Written-By – Rodgers-Hart
6 Alternating Current 6:36
Written-By – Hank Mobley
Credits :
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Barry Harris
Recorded By – Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Donald Byrd (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Impressive lineups, both in the front line and the rhythm section, fuel the two 1956 sessions on this Savoy reissue. The players are committed, the writing is good, and the performances reward repeated listening. The result is a worthwhile precursor to the industry-standard hard bop Mobley would later record for Blue Note.Lee Morgan, then 18, joins Mobley on two tracks that have pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor in the rhythm section. Even if Morgan at this time was audibly still growing as a trumpet player, his poise, execution, and resourceful imagination were already the tools of a master. Donald Byrd, on form and playing with crispness and authority, moves into the trumpet chair for the three remaining tracks. This time it's Barry Harris on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Watkins (again) on bass. The influence on Mobley of swing era tenors, from Lester Young to Illinois Jacquet, can be clearly heard on these tracks. Mobley's respect for and understanding of the pre-bebop style serve him well in his contribution to the development of the predominant jazz style that followed bebop. In addition to three Mobley originals, there is a blues by Thad Jones and another from Watkins. The standout track is Mobley's "Space Flight," a bright, up-tempo bop number that has memorable solos from Mobley, Byrd, Harris, and Clarke. The recording on this CD is very good but, as is common on Savoy reissues, the running time isn't long -- 32 minutes in the case of this jazz message. Jim Todd
Tracklist:
1 Thad's Blues 9:48
Thad Jones 
2 Doug's Minor B' Ok" 6:40
Doug Watkins
3 B. For B.B. 6:31
Hank Mobley
4 Blues Number Two 5:00
Hank Mobley
5 Space Flight 4:15
Hank Mobley
Credits:
1-3
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Hank Jones
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Lee Morgan
3-5
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Drums – Kenny Clarke
Piano – Barry Harris
Trumpet – Donald Byrd
Tracklist :
1 Touch and Go 9:13
Hank Mobley
2 Double Whammy 8:09
Hank Mobley
3 Barrel of Funk 11:18
Hank Mobley
4 Mobleymania 8:27
Hank Mobley
Credits :
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – Charlie Persip
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Horace Silver
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan
Tracklist :
1 Fit for a Hanker 7:24
Hank Mobley
2 Hi Groove, Low Feedback 9:56
Hank Mobley
3 Easy to Love 5:39
Cole Porter
4 Time After Time 6:48
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
5 Dance of the Infidels 7:54
Bud Powell
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – John Jenkins
Bass – Wilbur Ware
Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones
Piano – Bobby Timmons
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Donald Byrd
The Hank Mobley of the Turnaround album was a markedly different one from a few years earlier. This session issued in early 1965 was the product of two different sessions. The first was in March of 1963, immediately after Mobley left the Miles Davis band. Those recordings produced "East of the Village," possibly the greatest example of Mobley's "round tone" on record, and the other was "The Good Life," a ballad. The rest was recorded nearly two years later in February of 1965. The title cut was produced here -- an Alfred Lion answer to Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder," which was burning up the charts -- as well as the beautiful "Pat 'n' Chat," with "Straight Ahead" and "My Sin" rounding out the program. On the earlier material, Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Butch Warren, and Philly Jo Jones helped Mobley out, and on the latter it was Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins. In each case, there were alumnus members of the Miles band Mobley had played in. The main thing about "East of the Village" is the striking difference between the gorgeous melding of Latin and post-bop, straight-ahead rhythms, and the easy, loping blues feel that is cheered on by Jones. This track contains one of Mobley's most memorable solos. On the title track and "Pat 'n' Chat," there are elongated blues structures; in the former -- it is an unusual 18 bar figure -- and in the latter, there is the major 44 bar pattern that sounds like a blues with a bridge when the AABA pattern is invoked. Here is the evolution of Mobley's tone in full flower, all but gone is the rounded, warm sound, and in its place is a shorter, declarative, bluesier tone with real bite that is perfect for pianists like Harris, who were used to the deeper funk of the Detroit sound. In all this is a solid date, despite its time lapse, and one that gives us a solid picture of the two Mobleys.
|This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa'|
Tracklist :
1 The Turnaround 8:15
Hank Mobley
2 East of the Village 6:44
Hank Mobley
3 The Good Life 5:08
Sacha Distel / Jack Reardon
4 Straight Ahead 7:02
Hank Mobley
5 My Sin 6:53
Hank Mobley
6 Pat 'n' Chat 6:27
Hank Mobley
Credits :
Bass – Butch Warren (tracks: 2, 3), Paul Chambers (tracks: 1, 4 to 6)
Drums – Philly Joe Jones (tracks: 2, 3), Billy Higgins (tracks: 1, 4 to 6)
Piano – Barry Harris (tracks: 1, 4 to 6), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 2, 3)
Recorded By, Remastered By [2000] – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Donald Byrd (tracks: 2, 3), Freddie Hubbard (tracks: 1, 4 to 6)
Why any critic would think that Hank Mobley was at the end of his creative spark in 1963 -- a commonly if stupidly held view among the eggheads who do this for a living -- is ridiculous, as this fine session proves. By 1963, Mobley had undergone a transformation of tone. Replacing the scintillating airiness of his late-'50s sides was a harder, more strident, almost honking one, due in part to the influence of John Coltrane and in part to Mobley's deeper concentration on the expressing blues feeling in his trademark hard bop tunes. The CD version of this album sets the record straight, dropping some tunes form a session months earlier and replacing them with alternate takes of the title cut and "Carolyn" for historical integrity, as well as adding "Syrup and Biscuits" and "Comin' Back." Mobley assembled a crack band for this blues-drenched hard-rollicking set made up of material written by either him or trumpeter Lee Morgan. Other members of the ensemble were pianist Andrew Hill, drummer Philly Joe Jones, and bassist John Ore. The title track, which opens the set, is a stand-in metaphor for the rest: Mobley's strong and knotty off-minor front-line trading fours with Hill that moves into brief but aggressive soloing for he and Morgan and brings the melody back, altered with the changes from Hill. On Morgan's "Me 'n' You," an aggressive but short bluesed-out vamp backed by a mutated samba beat, comes right out of the Art Blakey book of the blues and is articulated wonderfully by Mobley's solo, which alternates between short, clipped phrases along the line of the changes and longer trill and ostinatos where the end of a musical line is dictated by his breath rather than a chord change. Morgan is in the pocket of the blue shades, coloring the ends of his lines with trills and short staccato bursts, warping them in Hill's open, chromatic voicings. All eight cuts here move with similar fluidity and offer a very gritty and realist approach to the roots of hard bop. Highly recommended.
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Tracklist :
1 Three Way Split 7'49
Hank Mobley
2 Carolyn 5'30
Lee Morgan
3 Up a Step 8'31
Hank Mobley
4 No Room for Squares 6'57
Hank Mobley
5 Me 'N You 7'17
Lee Morgan
6 Old World Imports 6'08
Hank Mobley
7 Carolyn (Alternate Take) 5'35
Lee Morgan
8 No Room for Squares 6'45
Hank Mobley
Credits :
Bass – Butch Warren (tracks: 3, 6), John Ore (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5)
Drums – Philly Joe Jones
Piano – Andrew Hill (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 3, 6)
Recorded By [Recording By], Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Donald Byrd (tracks: 3, 6), Lee Morgan (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5)
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