HANK MOBLEY: Soul Station (Blue Note)

Aside from his 1955 debut for Blue Note, Soul Station marked the first time that saxophonist Hank Mobley went into the studio with just a rhythm section. This wasn't just a chance meeting though. After just one listen, you can tell that these musicians had played together before. Wynton Kelly (piano) and Paul Chambers (bass) had worked with Mobley in Miles Davis' band, and Art Blakey (drums) jammed with Mobley in the original lineup of Blakey's Jazz Messengers. This is another release from Blue Note's recent RVG Series (all personally remastered by legendary producer, Rudy Van Gelder); and like the other discs in the series, the sound quality is superb.

Out of the six tracks on this record, there's not a bad one in the bunch. The musicians serve up inspired performances throughout. If this is your first exposure to Hank Mobley, it doesn't get much better than this. If you've already heard this classic album, then you know how great it is. You don't need me to tell you. There's only one thing wrong with this disc--it's too short.