Hank Workout

This LP has material from 1961 that for no real reason went unreleased until 1985. One song, "Three Coins in a Fountain," is from the same session that resulted in tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's famous Workout session with guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The other five numbers - three obscure Mobley originals, plus "I Should Care" and "Hello Young Lovers" - are from the previously unheard December 5, 1961 session with the same personnel except for Green. Hank Mobley was in a prime period around this time, and all of his Blue Note recordings are well worth picking up.

This is one of the best-known Hank Mobley recordings, and for good reason. Although none of his four originals ("Workout," "Uh Huh," "Smokin'," "Greasin' Easy") caught on, the fine saxophonist is in top form. He jams on the four tunes, plus "The Best Things in Life Are Free," with an all-star quintet of young modernists - guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones - and shows that he was a much stronger player than his then-current boss Miles Davis seemed to think. This recommended CD reissue adds a version of "Three Coins in the Fountain" from the same date, originally released on Another Workout, to the original LP program.

Avid Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD Second Set release from Hank Mobley, complete with original artwork and liner notes. “Peckin’ Time”; “Soul Station”; “Roll Call!” and “Workout”.
For our Second Set from Hank Mobley we have chosen four albums from the heart of his classic Blue Note period from the late 1950’s to the early 1960’s. On these fine albums, which include what many consider to be his best albums “Roll Call” and “Workout” you will hear Mobley alongside some of the greatest jazz musicians of the era, many of whom have their own classic Blue Note catalogue’s to enjoy. Step forward Lee Morgan, Paul Chambers, Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly, Freddie Hubbard, Grant Green and “Philly” Joe Jones…

Although pianist Hank Jones has been a major player since the mid-1940s, his classy swing-to-bop style still sounds fresh a half-century later. Both of his sidemen (bassist Mads Vinding and drummer Al Foster) were actually born in the mid- to late '40s, but they certainly have no difficulty communicating with the elder Jones. This fine trio workout finds the musicians digging into ten jazz standards (mostly from the 1950s and '60s) and coming up with fresh statements on such numbers as "Pent Up House," "Bloomdido," "Quintessence" and "Up Jumped Spring." A typically flawless and swinging effort from Hank Jones.

Hank Marvin, mostly playing a Favino acoustic guitar (and, occasionally, the "Hank Marvin"-model Fender Stratocaster), turns in some delightful work on this 58-minute CD, supported by players including Ben Marvin on guitar, Ray Martinez on bass, Gary Taylor on rhythm guitar, and Ric Eastman on drums. The music ranges across the decades from the 1950s to the 1970s – the virtuosity is beyond question and the arrangements on familiar fare such as "Sunny Afternoon," "American Pie," "Ticket to Ride" and "Eleanor Rigby" bring out some unexpected attributes to the songs, as well – only "Your Song" does what one would expect in its arrangement, and that tune is so pretty that one would never want to deviate too far from the basics on it. Some of the original tunes are less than memorable melodically, but the playing is always interesting enough to hold the listener, and one of them, "A Tall-A Tall Dark Stranger" could have made a good single two or three decades ago, with its rippling double-lead guitar parts.

Hank Mobley - Workout (1961) {Blue Note Japan SHM-CD UCCQ-5038 rel 2014} (24-192 remaster)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 378 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 120 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 303 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24bit 192kHz remaster
© 1961, 2014 Universal Japan / Blue Note | BN 75th The Masterworks | UCCQ-5038
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and the latest 24bit 192kHz remastering. One of the greatest albums ever from Blue Note tenor giant Hank Mobley – a set that really explodes in all the new directions Hank was taking in the 60s! Mobley in the 50s was already the stuff of legend – a tremendous soloist on tenor, and every bit his own man – firmly focused forward with a voice that was already tremendous – but which was turned towards a lot of new ideas with records like this!

Hank Mobley - Newark 1953 (2012) {2CD Set Uptown UPCD 27.66-67 rec 1953}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 293 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 230 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 34 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1953, 2012 Uptown Records | UPCD 27.66-67
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Saxophone

While major jazz record labels chase the latest crossover fad with borderline jazz content and ignore historical, significant, unissued jazz performances in their vaults, smaller labels like Uptown regularly surprise jazz fans with live recordings that few knew existed at all, such as this evening taped by jazz industry veteran Ozzie Cadena. Hank Mobley is heard leading a house band with pianist Walter Davis, Jr., drummer Charlie Persip, and the obscure bassist Jimmy Schenck, with trombonist Bennie Green as the guest for the week. These two sets recorded at The Piccadilly in Newark come from a single night in 1953, making them among Mobley's earliest known recordings.