JL 19.ii.11 Hank Mobley

[elmo]

Hank was a Giant...he really was

The great jazz men have the ability to play a theme almost straight but with subtle changes and inflections turn it into pure Jazz. Good case is the 1958 Miles sextet version of Stella by Starlight - Coltrane's solo has all those qualities, so has Hank on his solo on " I got it bad and that ain't good" from Donald Byrd "mustang" on Blue note. Simple, soulful and superb, whole album has fine playing by Hank, Donald and a cracking rhythm section.

[elmo]

A good quote in the Penguin Jazz Guide re Miles quintet with Hank -

As part of the Soul Station album review Saxophonist Jim Weir says "I never understood why Mobley was thought to be a strange or inappropriate choice for the miles Davis group. They're so alike in so many ways: no wasted notes, no hectoring of the listener but a subtle persuasion, and above all that little regretful murmur or sigh at the end of a phrase" ...... I will go along with that.