Artist: Hank Mobley Album: Soul Station Genre: Jazz Styles: Hard Bop, Saxophone Jazz, Jazz Instrument Item Number: AWMXR-0001 Brand/Label/Format: XRCD 24 Audio Wave/Blue Note Recorded: 1960 Release Date: 2009 http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0xfyxqegld6e Tracklisting 1. Remember 2. This I Dig of You 3. Dig Dis 4. Split Feelin's 5. Soul Station 6. If I Should Lose You Total Time: 00:37:32 Musicians: Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone) Wynton Kelly (piano) Paul Chambers (bass) Art Blakey (drums) Features: ? Mastered and produced by Alan Yoshida and Joe Harley from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note 2-Track Analog Tapes! ? Highest Quality Analog-to-Digital transfers from tape to CD ? Deluxe Packaging with Hi-Resolution Black & White Session Photos. ? Includes Original Album Liner Notes ? XRCD24 is Compatible with ALL CD PLAYERS! Review by Stacia Proefrock Often overlooked, perhaps because he wasn't a great innovator in jazz but merely a stellar performer, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was at the peak of his powers on Soul Station. Recorded with a superstar quartet including Art Blakey on drums, Paul Chambers on bass, and Wynton Kelly on piano, it was the first album since Mobley's 1955 debut to feature him as a leader without any other accompanying horns. The clean, uncomplicated sound that resulted from that grouping helps make it the best among his albums and a peak moment during a particularly strong period in his career. Mobley has no problem running the show here, and he does it without being flashy or burying the strong work of his sidemen. The solidness of his technique means that he can handle material that is occasionally rhythmically intricate, while still maintaining the kind of easy roundness and warmth displayed by the best players of the swing era. Two carefully chosen standards, "Remember" and "If I Should Lose You," help to reinforce that impression by casting an eye back to the classic jazz era. They bookend four Mobley originals that, in contrast, reflect the best of small-group composition with their lightness and tight dynamics. Overall, this is a stellar set from one of the more underrated musicians of the bop era. Detailed Description If the title of "Mr. Blue Note" had been given out to a performer, tenor-saxophonist Hank Mobley would have been its recipient. Mobley's smooth tone and style defined the hard bop era. He put plenty of emotion and intensity into every note he played. During 1955-70, Blue Note's greatest years, Mobley led 25 Blue Note albums and appeared as a sideman on many others. Soul Station, a quartet gem from 1960, is unusual for Hank in that Mobley is the only horn, heading a group that includes pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Blakey; needless to say, a stellar rhythm section! This recording features Hank Mobley at the peak of his powers, taking lengthy solos full of passion and drive. His four originals include his most famous composition, "This I Dig Of You", which he squeezes for every ounce of its expressive power. Hank plays with heartbreaking lyricism on "If I Should Lose You". If proof were ever needed of Hank Mobley's greatness, Soul Station is perfect evidence. http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AWMXR0001
brzdmucel