Hank Mobley

Art by Tim Foley

Hank Mobley

Tenor Saxophone · born 7 July 1930 – died 30 May 1986

▸ Click for Richard Cook Bio

Mobley grew up in New Jersey and took up the alto sax around 1948, but discouraged by Charlie Parker's omnipresence he soon switched to tenor. He played mostly with Paul Gayten's R&B band until 1954, when he spent time with Dizzy Gillespie's sextet and then joined what would become the first edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He stayed two years, and then worked with Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, besides embarking on a long and fruitful recording career with Blue Note: besides numerous sideman appearances, he cut more than 20 albums as a leader for the label. Mobley has always been a favourite among jazz LP collectors, and although never deemed to be much of an influence, he was actually more highly regarded than some think: many British musicians of the 50s and 60s sought out what were then his very hard to find records. In the age of Rollins and Coltrane, his 'round sound' seemed comparatively tepid, but it was allied to a brilliant understanding of how to make the beat work for a soloist. On his greatest records, Soul Station, Roll Call and Workout (1960–61), he seems to time every inflexion of his melodic line with some aspect of the underlying pulse, and some of his solos have a cliffhanger aspect which he unfailingly rights by the end. While some of his later records fell prey to Blue Note's search for popular hits, he remained a consistently absorbing player. But in other respects his career was luckless. Narcotics kept interfering – he spent time in prison either side of his Miles Davis stint in 1961 – and after the Blue Note era had ended, his health declined. A booking at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1985 caused great excitement among the faithful, but it never transpired, and Hank died the following year.

Biography from Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia (2005).

If you'd like more information, check out The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2002) or The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (2007), both of which are still in print.

As leader

  • Hank Mobley – Mobley’s MessageHank Mobley – Mobley’s Message
  • Hank Mobley – With Donald Byrd and Lee MorganHank Mobley – With Donald Byrd and Lee Morgan
  • Hank Mobley – And His All StarsHank Mobley – And His All Stars
  • Hank Mobley Quintet – Hank Mobley QuintetHank Mobley Quintet – Hank Mobley Quintet
  • Hank Mobley / Al Cohn / John Coltrane / Zoot Sims – Tenor ConclaveHank Mobley / Al Cohn / John Coltrane / Zoot Sims – Tenor Conclave
  • Hank Mobley Quintet – Mobley’s 2nd MessageHank Mobley Quintet – Mobley’s 2nd Message
  • Hank Mobley Quintet – Introducing Lee MorganHank Mobley Quintet – Introducing Lee Morgan
  • Hank Mobley – Jazz Message #2Hank Mobley – Jazz Message #2
  • Hank Mobley Sextet – HankHank Mobley Sextet – Hank
  • Hank Mobley – Hank MobleyHank Mobley – Hank Mobley
  • Hank Mobley / Lee Morgan – Peckin’ TimeHank Mobley / Lee Morgan – Peckin’ Time
  • Hank Mobley – Soul StationHank Mobley – Soul Station

Plays on

  • Dizzy Gillespie – AfroDizzy Gillespie – Afro
  • Jay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume TwoJay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume Two
  • The Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume OneThe Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume One
  • The Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume TwoThe Jazz Messengers – At the Café Bohemia, Volume Two
  • Horace Silver – and The Jazz MessengersHorace Silver – and The Jazz Messengers
  • The Jazz Messengers – The Jazz MessengersThe Jazz Messengers – The Jazz Messengers
  • Elmo Hope Sextet – Informal JazzElmo Hope Sextet – Informal Jazz
  • Jackie McLean – 4, 5, and 6Jackie McLean – 4, 5, and 6
  • Kenny Dorham – Afro-CubanKenny Dorham – Afro-Cuban
  • Horace Silver – 6 Pieces of SilverHorace Silver – 6 Pieces of Silver
  • Lee Morgan – Lee Morgan SextetLee Morgan – Lee Morgan Sextet
  • Jimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume OneJimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume One
  • Jimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume TwoJimmy Smith – A Date With Jimmy Smith, Volume Two
  • Johnny Griffin – A Blowing SessionJohnny Griffin – A Blowing Session
  • Horace Silver – The Stylings of SilverHorace Silver – The Stylings of Silver
  • Curtis Fuller – The OpenerCurtis Fuller – The Opener
  • Horace Silver – Silver’s BlueHorace Silver – Silver’s Blue
  • Prestige All-Stars – All Night LongPrestige All-Stars – All Night Long
  • Kenny Drew – This Is NewKenny Drew – This Is New
  • Sonny Clark – Dial “S” For SonnySonny Clark – Dial “S” For Sonny
  • Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 1Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 1
  • Curtis Fuller – Sliding EasyCurtis Fuller – Sliding Easy
  • Dizzy Reece – Star BrightDizzy Reece – Star Bright
  • Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 2Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 2

Mentioned in text

  • Miles Davis – The Musings of MilesMiles Davis – The Musings of Miles
  • Jay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume OneJay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume One
  • Various Artists – ConceptionVarious Artists – Conception
  • Bennie Green – Blows His HornBennie Green – Blows His Horn
  • John Lewis and Sacha Distel – Afternoon in ParisJohn Lewis and Sacha Distel – Afternoon in Paris
  • Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – Hard DriveArt Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – Hard Drive
  • Horace Silver – Horace Silver Trio and Art Blakey – SabúHorace Silver – Horace Silver Trio and Art Blakey – Sabú
  • Sonny Rollins – Sonny Rollins, Volume OneSonny Rollins – Sonny Rollins, Volume One
  • Lou Donaldson Quintet – Wailing With LouLou Donaldson Quintet – Wailing With Lou
  • Thad Jones – The Magnificent Thad Jones, Volume ThreeThad Jones – The Magnificent Thad Jones, Volume Three
  • Cliff Jordan / John Gilmore – Blowing In From ChicagoCliff Jordan / John Gilmore – Blowing In From Chicago
  • Sonny Rollins – Sonny Rollins, Volume TwoSonny Rollins – Sonny Rollins, Volume Two
  • Paul Chambers – Bass On TopPaul Chambers – Bass On Top
  • Art Farmer / Donald Byrd – Two TrumpetsArt Farmer / Donald Byrd – Two Trumpets
  • John Coltrane – ColtraneJohn Coltrane – Coltrane
  • Curtis Fuller – New TromboneCurtis Fuller – New Trombone
  • Paul Chambers – Paul Chambers QuintetPaul Chambers – Paul Chambers Quintet
  • Cliff Jordan – Cliff JordanCliff Jordan – Cliff Jordan
  • John Jenkins / Kenny Burrell – John Jenkins with Kenny BurrellJohn Jenkins / Kenny Burrell – John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell
  • John Coltrane – Blue TrainJohn Coltrane – Blue Train
  • Sonny Clark – Sonny Clark TrioSonny Clark – Sonny Clark Trio
  • Johnny Griffin – The CongregationJohnny Griffin – The Congregation
  • Sonny Rollins – A Night at the Village VanguardSonny Rollins – A Night at the Village Vanguard
  • Cliff Jordan – Cliff CraftCliff Jordan – Cliff Craft
  • Horace Silver Quintet – Further ExplorationsHorace Silver Quintet – Further Explorations
  • Lee Morgan – CandyLee Morgan – Candy
  • Jimmy Smith – The SermonJimmy Smith – The Sermon
  • Horace Silver – Blowin’ the Blues AwayHorace Silver – Blowin’ the Blues Away
  • Donald Byrd – Byrd in HandDonald Byrd – Byrd in Hand
  • Art Blakey – The Big BeatArt Blakey – The Big Beat
  • Freddie Hubbard – Open SesameFreddie Hubbard – Open Sesame
  • Tina Brooks – True BlueTina Brooks – True Blue
  • Art Blakey – Impulse / Art Blakey / Jazz MessengersArt Blakey – Impulse / Art Blakey / Jazz Messengers
  • Art Blakey Jazz Messengers – CaravanArt Blakey Jazz Messengers – Caravan
  • Herbie Hancock – Maiden VoyageHerbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage