Transition Blues – Hank Mobley
A very hip "Bird blues" with a lot of syncopations in the swinging early Mobley style.
- Recording: Donald Byrd - Byrd's Eye View
- Recorded on: December 2, 1955
- Label: Transition (TRLP 4)
- Concert Key: F
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Trumpet - Donald Byrd
- Trumpet - Joe Gordon
- Tenor Sax - Hank Mobley
- Piano - Horace Silver
- Bass - Doug Watkins
- Drums - Art Blakey
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The recording and our audio excerpt both start right on the melody. As you'll hear, this is a great "II-V blues" melody, played by Hank and trumpeters Donald Byrd and Joe Gordon on the recording. This is the only recording of this Hank Mobley composition. Maybe you'll be the first one to record it under its correct title, Transition Blues (see the Historical Notes).
There are two different Hank Mobley compositions that were originally released as Hank's Tune. The one presented here was incorrectly titled Hank's Tune: the correct name for this composition is Transition Blues and was recorded by Hank on the Transition label. Unfortunately, it's still called Hank's Tune at Amazon and other places.
Jazzleadsheets.com is also posting the original and correctly titled Hank's Tune, the one recorded on Horace Silver's album called "Silver's Blue." It always bothered Hank that his two different compositions were released under the same title on different records. We're glad to be able to put both of them out at the same time on jazzleadsheets.com. We hope this will help clarify the situation and establish Hank's constantly "transitioning" blues melody that he recorded for the Transition Label, as Transition Blues.
Jazzleadsheets.com is also posting the original and correctly titled Hank's Tune, the one recorded on Horace Silver's album called "Silver's Blue." It always bothered Hank that his two different compositions were released under the same title on different records. We're glad to be able to put both of them out at the same time on jazzleadsheets.com. We hope this will help clarify the situation and establish Hank's constantly "transitioning" blues melody that he recorded for the Transition Label, as Transition Blues.
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...