|
|
|
|
Review 1
Mellow master of the tenor sax Hank Mobley wrote especially spirited, soulful yet tricky (with "how's-that-again?" tags and squibs) pieces for this 2/5/65 session that teamed him with Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins. The title track -- an unabashed soul-groover, clearly in the mold of Lee Morgan's monster hit "Sidewinder" (12/63, also with Harris and Higgins) - has the boss ease through an assured, thoroughly relaxed solo, and Hub follows suit. "Straight Ahead" (a sit-up-and-take-notice major-meets-minor shouter with Smiling Billy rapping out military fills) gets a little ripper from Hubbard and a searing beauty from Hank. "Pat 'n' Chat" like it sounds is snappy and saucy, with extra bars slipped into the theme, and all hands on deck. Hank's tenor sound in his latter recording years -- he made his last of 20 Blue Note sessions in 1970, though he lived until 1986 -- had evolved from being round and lyrical like Dexter Gordon's, to finding a bit of a harder, slightly nasal, Trane-toned edge, yet more graceful and less pell-mell. Hank's "My Sin" is a somewhat mournful ballad reminiscent (despite whole-tone flavors) of Matt Dennis' "Violets For Your Furs."
The date's teamed with a split date (3/7/63) with Don Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Butch Warren, and Philly Joe Jones. The two tracks here are "East Of The Village" which has a distinctly spiritual feel, 6/8 feel with Latinesque sections and coda, and superb solo by Hank, and a very straight ballad reading of Sacha Distel's "The Good Life"; Herbie certainly chooses hipper chords than Ralph Sharon played behind Tony Bennett.  |
Review 2
Featuring: Freddie Hubbard - trumpet, Hank Mobley - tenor sax, Barry Harris - piano, Paul Chambers - bass, Billy Higgins - drums, - Donald Byrd - trumpet, Herbie Hancock - piano, Butch Warren - bass and Philly Joe Jones - drums.
Tracks: The Turnaround, East of the Village, The Good Life, Straight Ahead, My Sin, Pat 'N Chat |
Players
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Barry Harris - Piano
Billy Higgins - Piano, Drums
Philly Joe Jones - Drums
Hank Mobley - Sax (Tenor)
Butch Warren - Bass
Donald Byrd - Trumpet
Paul Chambers - Bass
Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet |
Tracks
1 The Turnaround
2 East of the Village
3 The Good Life
4 Straight Ahead
5 My Sin
6 Pat n' Chat |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
