Hank Mobley

Hank Mobley (1930–1986) was an American tenor saxophonist associated with hard bop and a long-time Blue Note recording artist. Born in Georgia and raised in the Newark area, he played with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan and others, and recorded landmark albums including Soul Station and Dippin'.

Recorded extensively for Blue Note in the 1950s and 1960s; praised for a warm, sinuous tenor tone and melodic invention; worked with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard among others. Struggled with heroin addiction, served prison terms in the late 1950s and 1964; some albums were shelved by Blue Note and released later (e.g., A Slice of the Top). Health issues (emphysema) and financial hardship affected his later life; he died May 30, 1986.

Three DeBaser reviews praise Hank Mobley as an underappreciated hard-bop tenor with a warm, sinuous tone. Reviews highlight key albums (A Slice of the Top, Dippin', The Turnaround) and his long association with Blue Note. They note his struggles with addiction, periods of incarceration, health problems and a late-career obscurity before his death in 1986.

For:Jazz listeners, Blue Note collectors, hard bop enthusiasts, music students