Hank Mobley

Hank Mobley was a Saxophoniste of Hard bop American born in 1930 and died in 1986.

He played of the Saxophone tenor in a style located between the aggressiveness of John Coltrane and the softness of Stan Getz, i.e. with a subtle and melody play. He accompanied Dizzy Gillespie, max Roach, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Jimmy Smith or Miles Davis.

Having already experience of professional musician with a group of R&B, and an acquired virtuosity, Mobley appeared on the scene newyorkaise of jazz around 1950. It became soon very appreciated in the clubs of NY, and found its place in the group of Art Blakey which will bear the name of the " later; Messengers" jazz;. Certainly formed and influenced by the tradition bop of Parker/Gillespie, its style is a hardware bop tinted funk and of worked. In the years 1950-60 Mobley was one of the saxophonists most recorded under the label Blue Note. It also made many compositions at the time, of which little is known today, and it even made a rather short training course with the orchestra of Duke Ellington in the years '50. Solos of Mobley within this framework would not be recorded/known. Although apparently in the shade of the tenorists " géants" time (for example Coltrane, Rollins, Getz, Dexter Gordon), the popularity of Mobley did not cease growing about 1960, and some will say that the apogee of its career intervenes with its engagement of Miles Davis in 1959-60. Of this group exists an album (2 yielded) entitled " Friday/Saturday Night At The Black Hawk" , recording " live" of this club of San Fransisco. It will leave soon Miles, and about 1970 it records less than during the decade '50 '60. Years 1970 it is worth to mention the album " Thinking off Home". Mobley suffered from a lung disease which gradually prevented to him from continuing its trade of musician.

Its principal albums are:

Hi Voltage
Workout
No Room For Drunk Public garden
Station
" Dippin'" (1965)
" Roll Call"

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