Hank Mobley - Workout + Hank Mobley Quartet (2012)

Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was at the peak of his powers throughout the early 1960s as he produced a staggering run of hard bop classics including Soul Station, Roll Call, Workout, No Room For Squares, and The Turnaround. Recorded in 1961, Workout was an energetic quintet outing featuring Mobley with guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The spirited five-song set consisted of four dynamic Mobley originals—“Workout,” “Uh Huh,” “Smokin’,” and “Greasin’ Easy”—that proved to be ideal vehicles inspiring vigorous improvisations from each of the soloists. The lone standard “The Best Things In Life Are Free”—taken from the musical Good News—was a showcase for Mobley’s more lyrical side.

This release presents Hank Mobley’s complete classic LP Workout (Blue Note BST84080), which was the first out of just three collaborations between the tenor saxophonist and guitar magician Grant Green. The rest of the group consists of the classic Miles Davis Quintet rhythm section members Wynton Kelly on piano, and Paul Chambers on bass, plus then ex-Miles Davis member Philly Joe Jones on drums. As a bonus, Mobley’s complete album Hank Mobley Quartet (Blue Note 10” BLP5066), which also boasts an all-star rhythm section.