A-1 – Hank Mobley
A fanfare-ish intro begins this busy uptempo swinger, which comes from one of Mobley's early Savoy sessions.
- Recording: Lee Morgan/Hank Mobley - A-1 The Savoy Sessions
- Recorded on: November 7, 1956
- Label: Savoy (SJL1104)
- Concert Key: B-flat
- Style: Swing (uptempo)
- Trumpet - Lee Morgan
- Tenor Sax - Hank Mobley
- Piano - Hank Jones
- Bass - Doug Watkins
- Drums - Art Taylor
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Bright-toned with diverse articulations and phrase lengths, this uptempo swinger is classic early Mobley. The changes on this 32-measure form are based on a classic "walk down" in whole steps from the tonic to the fifth. Rather unusually, the bridge changes begin in the same way as the A section but descend further, resolving to D♭ major in the sixth measure before returning to B♭. The F7 in the fourth measure of each section has a sharp fifth, which is emphasized in both the A and B section melody. There is a fanfare-like intro played by the horns in octaves, accompanied by only drums; it is an eight-measure section repeated twice, with a drum fill in the last four measures each time.
"A-1 The Savoy Sessions" was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s legendary Hackensack Studio.
For another song from this session, click on Doug's Minor Bo'k by bassist Doug Watkins. The quintet heard here had recorded another session two days earlier, which included another Doug Watkins original, Bet. These were Hank Mobley's last sessions as a leader for the Savoy label; later in November 1956 he recorded an album for Blue Note, released as "Hank Mobley Sextet." This Blue Note album also featured Lee Morgan, with Donald Byrd, Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, and drummer Charli Persip. Mobley reused the intro of A-1 in his song Double Exposure, recorded on the Blue Note session of June 23rd, 1957, issued with the album title "Hank Mobley;" Art Taylor was on this session again, alongside Bill Hardman, Sonny Clark, Chambers, and Shafi Hadi on tenor. Mobley's tendency to write songs with individual drummers in mind must have influenced this reuse of the intro for this other session with Art Taylor.
Although this title was recorded on the November session, it wasn't released until the 1970s.
For another song from this session, click on Doug's Minor Bo'k by bassist Doug Watkins. The quintet heard here had recorded another session two days earlier, which included another Doug Watkins original, Bet. These were Hank Mobley's last sessions as a leader for the Savoy label; later in November 1956 he recorded an album for Blue Note, released as "Hank Mobley Sextet." This Blue Note album also featured Lee Morgan, with Donald Byrd, Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, and drummer Charli Persip. Mobley reused the intro of A-1 in his song Double Exposure, recorded on the Blue Note session of June 23rd, 1957, issued with the album title "Hank Mobley;" Art Taylor was on this session again, alongside Bill Hardman, Sonny Clark, Chambers, and Shafi Hadi on tenor. Mobley's tendency to write songs with individual drummers in mind must have influenced this reuse of the intro for this other session with Art Taylor.
Although this title was recorded on the November session, it wasn't released until the 1970s.
Hank Mobley
July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986
Hank Mobley is one of the most acclaimed tenor saxophonists in modern jazz history. He is recognized by musicians and critics alike as one of the most important and eloquent jazz instrumentalists of all time. He recorded well over 100 of his own original compositions and left an indelible mark on the post-bop jazz scene. Read more...