Workout

Hank Mobley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000005HC9
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,578 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time To "Workout" Again, February 15, 2006

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Workout (Audio CD)

Recently out-of-print (though still easily found), it is great to have Hank Mobley's "Workout" available once again via this RVG Edition. This classic Blue Note session from March 26, 1961 features the tenor saxman and guitarist Grant Green joining the formidable rhythm trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. (Mobley would bring the same group back in the studio that December, sans Green, to make "Another Workout" -- now there's a CD that needs to be reissued!) The playing is smooth and straight-ahead, powered by great solos and great compositions. Surprisingly, my favorite tune has always been the mid-tempo romantic ballad, "Three Coins in a Fountain," left off the original vinyl but added as a bonus track to this and previous CD versions. In all, there's nothing like a good "Workout" with Hank Mobley to get the blood flowing and the feet tapping!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars underrated Hank Mobley plays wonderful melody, March 15, 2007

By 

rash67 (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Workout (Audio CD)

Hank Mobley spent so much of his life in the shadow of John Coltrane, who certainly blew more notes...

Mobley and Miles Davis should have been soul-mates, prior to '64, Davis often played solos close to the melodic line (see his solo on Round Midnight). John Coltrane thought so, he recommended Mobley to Davis as his replacement. Mobley has a wonderful lyric sound to his sax, despite the indifference of Miles Davis and much of the hardbop world to his work during his life. Thoughtful Mobley played complex music, occationally just behind the beat (like Billie Holliday).

His sunny rendition of "The Best Things in Life are Free" is so happy, it will bring tears of joy to your eyes. Despite being close to the melodic line, it's a classic. "Three Coins" is another lyric classic. "Uh-huh" and "Smokin'" have strong blues influences. The rushed title track is probably my least favorite song on here, which is unusual.

for Miles and Mobley, hear "Someday my Prince will Come" & "Live at the Blackhawk", etc.

In my estimation the three best Hank Mobley Albums, (other than his Miles Davis stuff), are "Soul Station", this album & "Another Workout". After the early 1960's, much of Mobley's albums had too much trumpet, overpowering his solos. In subsequent albums, Mobley was pushed to change his relaxed, thoughtful, lyrical style to try to be more like Coltrane (and less like Mobley). That and a bunch of boogaloo, esp with Lee Morgan. It is the Mobley in this period and earlier albums which I think was what he was really all about. He was around for another 20 plus years, but a shadow of his former self.

With music, if the first note doesn't sound good, it doesn't matter how many follow...and Hank Mobley knew how to play notes that sounded good!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to miss with this band backing you..., September 7, 2003

By 

"douglasnegley" (Pittsburgh, Pa. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Workout (Audio CD)

Contrary to many who dig the title track "Workout" as the cream of this one, I actually think Hank - one of my favorite bop tenormen - is not up to his usual high standard. The next tune, however, "Uh Huh", also penned by Mobley, finds him in better form. The band behind him - Wynton especially on this cut, Grant Green (oh yeah), Chambers, and Philly Joe pick it up as well. Philly Joe kills on this basic shuffle, working up to a fever groove about two-thirds in, then clickin' with rims...great drumming. Grant Green outshines Hank on "Smokin'", another straight ahead Mobley bop number, and Wynton again is in top form. Hank trading 'fours' with Philly Joe is his best playing on this track, I think, along with the suprise lyrical ending. The best playing on the CD by Mobley is undoubtedly on "The Best Things In Life Are Free" - it almost sounds like he was waiting through the first three just to tear this one up, and Grant Green responds with a beautiful solo of his own; definately the best track on the CD. Another Mobley straight ahead-er, "Greasin' Easy" follows, and Hank plays it well, even great at times, but again, without meaning to, Grant Green outshines him, taking a double-time solo and then dropping back to the regular groove and sounding right on the money. I suppose what I'm alluding to here is that there are great moments all throughout this session - it's just that many of them are not Mobley, even though they come on tunes that he wrote. In fact, it's my personal opinion that Hank's real moments, both of tone and substance, come on the only two tunes he DIDN'T write. The last tune, "Three Coins In The Fountain" finds Mobley again in top form. Amazingly, this was not issued on the LP.