Hank Mobley "A Slice Of The Top"

[Michael Weiss]

Last night, Howard Johnson was telling me that Duke Pearson was trying to discourage Hank from having the tuba double those wide interval bass lines.

Edited January 28, 2008 by Michael Weiss

[T.D.]

I bought a nice new amp a ways back, a Creek 5350:

http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/327/

Imagine my surprise when I realized that it has no tone controls. In practice, this had proved to be no problem; it kicks the best out of whatever you put into it to such an extent that very seldom do I think about the lost ability to tweak, but not being an equipment nut, I wonder whether the lack of tone controls is common on amps above a certain price.

Not sure about integrated amps, but if you go the separates route (preamp + power amp), most preamps seem to lack tone controls.

[sidewinder]

Just spinning the Conn LP - yes, the original sound isn't the greatest. Quite muffled, lack of top end.

That was often the case with "rainbow" series LPs - I sold them all after the CDs were out as they sounded better in every case!

This is the Conn LP with 'Wally' in the runout groove, not the 'Rainbow', Mike. After playing this I put it on the VPI cleaner and sound improved no end - more than acceptable. I don't think the original recording was the greatest though - I have the 'Rainbow' LP also and will try to check it out later.

[sidewinder]

Last night, Howard Johnson was telling me that Duke Pearson was trying to discourage Hank from having the tube double those wide interval bass lines.

Wow ! I reckon he got things just right with the tuba scoring. Does Howard have any other recollections of the session?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Last night, Howard Johnson was telling me that Duke Pearson was trying to discourage Hank from having the tube double those wide interval bass lines.

That is very interesting. The credits say Duke did the arranging but it looks like they ought to say something like, "Arrangements; Duke Pearson, under the stern (but no doubt friendly) direction of Hank Mobley." And I wonder what Alfred's role was... Perhaps to come down on Hank's side.

MG

[sidewinder]

"Arrangements; Duke Pearson, under the stern (but no doubt friendly) direction of Hank Mobley."

Didn't Hank sketch out the charts whilst he was in jail? For Duke P. to then orchestrate.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

ask youro friend for more Hank info and more info abuty the session!!!

[Shawn]

"Arrangements; Duke Pearson, under the stern (but no doubt friendly) direction of Hank Mobley."

Didn't Hank sketch out the charts whilst he was in jail? For Duke P. to then orchestrate.

That's the story in the liner notes, Hank wanted Pearson to write the charts because he could do them in a day. I believe that's probably correct although there seems to be some of Pearson's stamp on these tunes, especially Lull In My Life.

[Michael Weiss]

ask youro friend for more Hank info and more info abuty the session!!!

Howard said that he and Hank would often sit together in Slug's listening to different bands.

Cedar recently told me about a night at Slugs he worked with KD and Hank, where because of some beef, Hank and KD refused to play together the whole night.

Shifting the topic away from Hank for the moment ------

I played for most of last Friday night's benefit for George Cables, and started off playing with Louis Hayes, Rufus Reid and Sonny Fortune. On the break I was playing a number of Horace tunes for Louis (Blowing the Blues Away was my first jazz record) and Howard overheard me, so he told me this story:

When Howard was out of the service he visited a friend who was rooming in Tony Williams' family's house. This was 1959, when Tony was 14. Howard accompanied Tony to a gig that Alan Dawson was on with the Neves brothers. Alan had Tony sit in on drums so Alan could play vibes. They played Horace's "Baghdad Blues" which must have just come out – dig the impact Horace's writing had at the time. Tony knew the tune inside out, setting up the hit on 4 on the fourth bar several measures ahead!

Edited January 27, 2008 by Michael Weiss

[BruceH]

Just spinning the Conn LP - yes, the original sound isn't the greatest. Quite muffled, lack of top end. The music though, is incendiary. Not least McCoy Tyner's solo on the first track.

Adding Kiane Zawadi (euphonium) and Howard Johnson (tuba) to the mix was a masterstroke. The bottom-heavy arrangements remind me very much of Horace Tapscott's imaginative charts for Sonny Criss's 'Sonny's Dream' and the near-contempoary session of Andrew Hill's for Blue Note - 'Passing Ships'. There's also the bonus on 'Slice' of having James Spaulding and Lee Morgan completing the front line. Dream team.

Yes! I always connected Sonny's Dream with A Slice Of the Top. Well, ever since I finally found a used Conn. of SOTT a few years ago, that is. This album should have been RVGed.

Edited January 29, 2008 by BruceH

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I sold my rainbow LP many years ago when I heard the Conn CD. I remembered it sounding lousy.

As I sit here listening to my newly acquired second copy of this Mobley classic ($5 at Stereo Jack's! ), I have to wonder what people are hearing when they play this LP, particularly side 2 with 'A Touch Of Blue'. I hear some nasty stuff on the highs. It's really bad on the cymbals. They don't sound "normal". I remember why I sold this the first time. It'll be good to have around when I want to spin some vinyl, but the Conn CD will get first play.

I have to find a Conn LP to see if that is any better.

[Parkertown]

Listening to Side 2 of the Conn Lp right now...I can hear where these cymbals could be very tough to master. That ride cymbal is more like a splash that Higgins is using.

This version has a lot of cymbal sound, but I can't say I'd call it "tizzy" or "sizzle-ly."

I'm happy with this Lp. Perhaps you could be as well.

[mikeweil]

Rudy Van Gelder was miking the ride cymbals rather close - that can cause problems when they are suspended very loose, then you get all kinds of phasing effects; and sometimes he recorded them very hot - a slight override sounds that weird. The first Tina Brooks is an example. Blakey's ride is hard to take on that one.

I had the Rainbow LP and was glad to trade it in for the Conn CD.

[michel1969]

A Slice of the top is one of Mobley's best sessions. I listen to it very often. The liner notes are very interesting because written in 1979, while Mobley was still alive..., but no longer an active jazz musician. They already talk about the past, and they somewhat reflect the bitterness and angryness of him at this date : recalling the numerous troubles Mobley's carreer in the 50's and 60's had with law and justice, drugs etc...In 1979, he was ill, could't play saxophone, he couldn't tour in Europe, two sax were robbed, he was ripped off etc... Those liner notes are very sad, but i think very true about the state of mind of this hard bopper generation who was forgotten, or couln't play another kind of more " avant garde jazz". Probably lee Morgan had the same feeling at the beginning of the seventies.

[sidewinder]

What is mentioned in the new book is Hank's bitterness that 'Slice Of The Top' wasn't released at the time of recording and he put the fault squarely on Blue Note. Probably a bit harsh as Alfred Lion was just selling up to Liberty at that time with resultant chaos (well relative chaos - it was Alfred Lion and Blue Note after all) and Hank's release throughput through the Liberty transition actually stayed quite high, compared with some of the other artists on the label. Sadly, a case of really bad timing. As the book says, Hank had unbelievably bad luck throughout his career, not helped by his lack of self-publicity (only fellow musicians and big fans of the music, in general, ever cottoned on to just how great he was).

[michel1969]

Did you got the Mobley book already ? I ordered it... still waiting for it...

[sidewinder]

Did you got the Mobley book already ? I ordered it... still waiting for it...

Yes, I bought it from 'Ray's Jazz' in London several weeks ago and have just finished reading it - they had half a dozen copies on display. I think Northway Books might well be selling it direct by mail order (which is how I got the Ian Carr 'Music Outside' book).