In a word association game, the name "Hank Mobley" will often generate "Blue Note" and vice versa. While Mobley had a musical life beyond the Blue Note label including associations with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis (the 1961 Quintet), it is for his Blue Note recordings that he rightfully most remembered. Mobley led 25 albums for Blue Note and appeared on over 30 others as a sideman. His consistency resulted in all of those recordings being recommended to hard bop collectors.

Mobley's mastery of the style, his attractive tone, and his skill at writing songs that inspire memorable solos made him a perfect representative of the Blue Note sound. Even with his large number of great recordings, Workout is something special and a real standout. Joined by Grant Green, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, Mobley creates brilliant statements on four of his best originals (including the soulful "Uh Huh" and "Greasin' Easy"), "The Best Things In Life Are Free" and "Three Coins In A Fountain."

The passion in Mobley's playing is exciting and will surprise many. He takes wild chances that challenge the other all-stars, and he plays with a constant stream of creative ideas. Even collectors who own a dozen other Hank Mobley albums will have to get this version of Workout which, with its superb remastering, has never sounded better.

Like all Music Matters Jazz releases, this audiophile vinyl reissue is mastered from the original analog tape and pressed on 180g virgin vinyl at RTI in Camarillo, CA. The highest quality gatefold cover features original session photography on the inside.


See more Hank Mobley records here.