Hank Mobley Quintet

HANK MOBLEY

TENOR SAXOPHONE
Hank Mobley

TRUMPET
Art Farmer

PIANO
Horace Silver

BASS
Doug Watkins

DRUMS
Art Blakey

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SYNOPSIS

This self-titled session marks Hank Mobley’s first recording as a leader for Blue Note and stands as a cornerstone of the hard bop era. With a powerhouse lineup—Donald Byrd on trumpet, Horace Silver on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Blakey on drums—Mobley’s warm, round tenor tone takes center stage. The record balances blues-drenched swing with bop sophistication, capturing the fiery yet lyrical style that made Mobley one of the great voices on tenor sax. An essential debut, it laid the foundation for a career that would help define the Blue Note sound.

PERSONNEL

PRODUCER
Alfred Lion

LINER NOTES
Robert Levin

RECORDING
Rudy Van Gelder

COVER DESIGN
Harold Feinstein

COVER PHOTO
Francis Wolff

PRESSING INFORMATION

Blue Note – BLP 1550
LP, Mono | 12”, 33⅓ RPM
United States / 1957
Original Pressing

GENRE & STYLE

Jazz
Hard Bop

IDENTIFIERS

- Flat edge vinyl, deep groove & laminated cover.
- Rudy Van Gelder’s "RVG" stamp in deadwax.
- Plastylite "p" handwritten in the runout.
- 47 West 63rd New York 23 address on both labels.

TRACKLIST