[TR24][DAD] Hank Mobley - Roll Call - 1960/1998 (Jazz)

Recorded on November 13, 1960 at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Remasterd in 2002 by Rudy Van Gelder. Originally issued as Blue Note BLP 4058 and BST 84058.

Label description:

During his tenure with Miles Davis, Hank Mobley made four Blue Note albums with band mates Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers, the most celebrated being Soul Station with Art Blakey on drums. For Roll Call, recorded nine months later, Mobley assembled the same magnificent rhythm section and added Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. The result rivals its more well known predecessor in swing, soul and incredible solos. The gospely "A Baptist Beat," heard here in two takes, has become a favorite among club DJs and acid jazz fans.

AMG review by Stacia Proefrock:

From the first moment when Art Blakey comes crashing in to establish a kinetic Latin groove on the eponymous opening song, Hank Mobley's Roll Call explodes with energy. The first horn heard here is actually Freddie Hubbard's trumpet, foreshadowing the prominent role that he would have in the sound of this album. The quintet all work together flawlessly here, but Hubbard particularly shines as he plays off of Mobley's fluid riffs and carries more than a few lines himself, sounding particularly athletic and effortless on the closing track, "The Breakdown."

Mobley's performance throughout the recording is stylish without being restrained, and the strength of his songwriting shines on five of the album's six songs. A warm, laid-back, sweet version of "The More I See You" is also included, with a muted Hubbard sounding very much like Miles Davis. It is a nice complement to this collection of originals, which has often been overshadowed by Mobley's other late-'50s and early-'60s work but is definitely deserving of some attention of its own.