Henry "Hank" Mobley was an American hard bop and soul jazz tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to describe his tone, that was neither as aggressive as John Coltrane nor as mellow as Lester Young, and his style that was laid-back, subtle and melodic, especially in contrast with players like Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. The critic Stacia Proefrock claimed him "one of the most underrated musicians of the bop era." Mobley's compositions included "Double Exposure," "Soul Station", and "Dig Dis," among others.
Douglas Watkins was an American jazz double bassist. He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean.
Vertigo is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1962 and 1963 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1980. The initial release contained only the five tracks from 1963, while the later 2000 limited CD edition, released as part of the "Connoisseur Series", added six tracks from a 1962 session originally marked for release as Jackie McLean Quintet, first issued in 1978 as part of a double LP entitled Hipnosis.
Dippin' is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley released on the Blue Note label in 1966. It is the second of nine Blue Note sessions to feature Mobley alongside Lee Morgan during the trumpeter's second stint with the label. It is also the second of nine consecutive Hank Mobley recording sessions to feature Billy Higgins.
Cornbread is an album by American jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, released in 1967 on the Blue Note label. Recorded in September 1965, the album features performances by Morgan, along with sidemen Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, and Larry Ridley.
Straight No Filter is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley, recorded mostly in 1963 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1985. The CD edition compiles performances recorded at four different sessions from 1963 to 1966.
¡Caramba! is an album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, released on the Blue Note label in 1968. It features performances by Morgan, Bennie Maupin, Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman and Billy Higgins with arrangements by Cal Massey.
The Sixth Sense is an album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, released on the Blue Note label in 1970. The album features performances by Morgan, Jackie McLean, Frank Mitchell, Cedar Walton, Victor Sproles and Billy Higgins. The CD reissue added three tracks featuring Harold Mabern and Mickey Bass.
The Rajah is an album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan released on the Blue Note label. It was recorded on November 29, 1966 but not released until 1985, and features performances by Morgan, Hank Mobley, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers and Billy Higgins. The recording was found in the Blue Note vaults by Michael Cuscuna in 1984.
Infinity is an album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan released on the Blue Note label. It was recorded on November 16, 1965 but not released until 1981 and features performances by Morgan with a quintet featuring Jackie McLean, Larry Willis, Reggie Workman and Billy Higgins. The album was reissued on CD in 1998 as a limited edition.
Leeway is an album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan released on the Blue Note label. It was recorded on April 28, 1960 and features performances by Morgan with Jackie McLean, Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers and Art Blakey.
A Caddy for Daddy is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on December 18, 1965, and released on the Blue Note label in 1967. It features performances by Mobley with trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Billy Higgins.
A Slice of the Top is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on March 18, 1966. The album was not released on the Blue Note label until 1979. It features performances by Mobley with a larger than usual ensemble of trumpeter Lee Morgan, euphonium player Kiane Zawadi, tuba player Howard Johnson, alto saxophonist James Spaulding, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. The arrangements were written by Duke Pearson. On the original LP, Reggie Workman was mistakenly identified on the sleeve as the bassist.
Hi Voltage is an album by jazz tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on October 9, 1967 and released on the Blue Note label the following year. It features performances by Mobley with alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist John Hicks, drummer Billy Higgins, and bassist Bob Cranshaw.
Third Season is an album by the jazz tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on February 24, 1967, but not released on the Blue Note label until 1980 as LT 1081. It contains performances by Mobley with trumpeter Lee Morgan, alto saxophonist James Spaulding, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker, drummer Billy Higgins, and guitarist Sonny Greenwich.
Far Away Lands is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on May 26, 1967, but not released on the Blue Note label until 1984. It features performances by Mobley with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Higgins.
Thinking of Home is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on July 31, 1970 but not released by the Blue Note label until 1980. It features performances by Mobley with trumpeter Woody Shaw, pianist Cedar Walton, guitarist Eddie Diehl, bassist Mickey Bass, and drummer Leroy Williams. This was Mobley's 26th recording for Blue Note.
Lee Morgan Sextet is an album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan released on the Blue Note label in 1957. It was recorded on December 2, 1956 and features performances by Morgan, Hank Mobley, Kenny Rodgers, Horace Silver, Paul Chambers and Charlie Persip. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow calls the album "An above-average hard bop set".
Blackjack is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with Sonny Red, Hank Mobley, Cedar Walton, Walter Booker, and Billy Higgins recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4259. The CD reissue included one bonus track recorded in 1963. The title track was sampled by Gang Starr & Dream Warriors in their 1991 collaboration "I've Lost My Ignorance".
Action Action Action is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label. It features McLean in a quintet with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Higgins.
