It probably wasn't meant to be, but when, back in the day, Leonard Feather described Hank Mobley as “middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone”, it was a backhanded compliment. Hank was unquestionably the real deal at a time when Newk and Trane appeared to grab all the headlines. Nevertheless, it can't be denied that Mobley was a prime mover in the development of hard bop. A founder member of the Jazz Messengers (1954-56 and 1959), thereafter an integral sideman with Horace Silver (1956-57), Max Roach (1957-58), Miles Davis (1961-62), and a Blue Note label mainstay where he made numerous albums, such as Workout, which directly influenced a whole generation of UK saxmen, most notably Tubby Hayes. As I’ve previously noted, Mobley was lyrical to a fault, smooth where others were abrasive, rhythmically idiosyncratic and possessed of an instantly recognisable tone. He also had a knack of composing excellent top lines (‘Workout’, ‘Uh Huh’, ‘My Sin’, ‘Avila And Tequila’, etc). What also makes this such a standout session is that apart from the dynamic presence of Philly Joe Jones, a second front line horn is left on the bench in favour of Grant Green's highly compatible guitar. Deep joy. By way of a bonus, an earlier 10-inch album that had Mobley fronting the Messengers rhythm machine make this an album to obtain at all cost.