Ever Wonder How Hank Sounded At One of His Final Known Gigs?

[Joe]

Yes, the opening is difficult to get through... but I agree, there's still something inimitably Hank and more than listenable in the solo he takes.

That he was playing at all at this point in his career, considering his health and everything else that he had lived through, seems to me a kind of miracle, if not exactly a triumph.

Edited October 8, 2010 by Joe

[sidewinder]

Fascinating. Sounds totally 100% Hank to me, from the off. I would agree that it is very similar to his style of playing in 'Breakthrough' - but the chops are sadly in lesser shape. As mentioned, he's got the ideas for sure but struggling to get them out. This is a aspect of Hank's recordings that for me really started to become apparent with the 'Thinking Of Home' session onwards.

I remember the NorthSea Fest back in 1984/85 actually advertised in the jazz press a forthcoming appearance by Hank - but sadly it never happened. I'll have a look at back copies of Jazz Journal from that era to see if I can find the advert, if I get some free time.

Edited October 8, 2010 by sidewinder

[Hardbopjazz]

Wow. I want to remember Hank of the 50s and 60s and not like this.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

north sea jazz fest....isnt that overseas? they really advertiested a mobley gig?

Wow. I want to remember Hank of the 50s and 60s and not like this.

no, it is important we hear the whole story- this is this mans life and the whole thing is relevant--

[JSngry]

no, it is important we hear the whole story- this is this mans life and the whole thing is relevant--

Word.

[helpgodme]

Thanks for posting, Dan

[sage1]

Thank you so much for posting this! I've always wondered just how Hank sounded near the end of his tragic life. My understanding is that he was living on the streets of Philadelphia during these final months, broke and homeless.

It's so ironic (and sad) that the dawn of the CD era, which resurrected Hank's reputation, and which might have brought him some remuneration in the form of royalties, was just starting to occur when he passed away. He died never knowing that a whole new generation of jazz fans would (re)discover his playing through the digital medium. Hank never got the acclaim he deserved during his lifetime and he probably passed away feeling that he was for the most part a forgotten man.

[Steve Reynolds]

the disease of addiction is a liar and thief

thanks for posting this - bittersweet to hear it

[Larry Kart]

no, it is important we hear the whole story- this is this mans life and the whole thing is relevant--

Word.

I await the autopsy photos of Charlie Parker.

[AllenLowe]

there's a grimly amusing story in one of Gerald Early's books - when he was working for a social service agency in Philadelphia, most of his fellow black co-workers were into everything but jazz, they preferred soul music, r&b, etc. Early was always proselytizing, he says, about the importance of the "great black heritage" of jazz. One day one of his co-workers came in and said, "hey if you wanna see some of that great black heritage, go down to South Street, and you'll see it lying in the gutter throwing up." The person he was referring to turned out to be Mobley -

Edited October 9, 2010 by AllenLowe

[JSngry]

no, it is important we hear the whole story- this is this mans life and the whole thing is relevant--

Word.

I await the autopsy photos of Charlie Parker.

No need to wait, just listen to the last Verve session.

[Peter Friedman]

I am reminded a bit of the way Coleman Hawkins played at the last period prior to his death.

Personally I see nothing positive about experiencing an artist's music when he has declined to the point where he has become just a thin shadow of his former self. I think Larry's commenr about seeing Bird's autopsy photos is on target.

[Hardbopjazz]

north sea jazz fest....isnt that overseas? they really advertiested a mobley gig?

Wow. I want to remember Hank of the 50s and 60s and not like this.

no, it is important we hear the whole story- this is this mans life and the whole thing is relevant--

Yes, I'll agree. But what I meant was, his remarkable playing of the past is what fans judge him on, and not this somewhat poor sounding recording near his end. Yes the whole story is relevant.

[Larry Kart]

I am reminded a bit of the way Coleman Hawkins played at the last period prior to his death.

I was right there for that, too -- one of the most disturbing things I ever witnessed, though my second-hand guilt (if that's the way to put it) was somewhat expiated by an experience I had when I was deputized to pick up Hawkins the next day at his Chicago hotel, get him to the airport, and put him safely on his flight back to New York. See page 387 of John Chilton's Hawkins bio for details, though the words Chilton quotes me as saying about what happened at the airport are not what I actually said to him -- he "Englished up" my diction a bit for some reason.

[JSngry]

Any impressions about life formed by intentionally avoiding disturbance are not to be trusted.

[Larry Kart]

Intentionally avoiding disturbance is one thing, whether to reveal anything and everything to anyone and everyone is another. Circumstances, circumstances.

[JSngry]

Not sure that anyone and everyone has any kind of emotional investment in The Life Of Hank Mobley.

And having been around a few dissipated individuals in the full throes of their dissipation (as I'm sure you also have been), I hardly think that one tune constitutes "everything" that was the last 15 or so years of Hank Mobley's life.

In other words, if this one cut is so upsetting, imagine the daily horrors of the life that created it, and then let us meditate on The Life Of Hank Mobley.

[jazzbo]

You know what? It sounded like Hank even when it didn't. The man made a cool little universe of sound, something to be commended and remembered.

Duke's contribution is substantial here!

[Larry Kart]

Not sure that anyone and everyone has any kind of emotional investment in The Life Of Hank Mobley.

And having been around a few dissipated individuals in the full throes of their dissipation (as I'm sure you also have been), I hardly think that one tune constitutes "everything" that was the last 15 or so years of Hank Mobley's life.

In other words, if this one cut is so upsetting, imagine the daily horrors of the life that created it, and then let us meditate on The Life Of Hank Mobley.

OK, but I thought that in saying "Any impressions about life formed by intentionally avoiding disturbance are not to be trusted" you were not just talking about this clip but stating what you felt to be a general principle, e.g. "Any impressions about life... etc." (my emphasis).

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i just hope there were at least some happy times for hank in the 80s at some point. he gotta say a few words at the bluenote tribute concert, that was pretty cool.....

[clifford_thornton]

I assume the cacophony in the first couple minutes is due to some major print-through on the tape?

[Peter Johnson]

I was assuming the taper started in one place and moved closer to the stage after a minute or two.

I assume the cacophony in the first couple minutes is due to some major print-through on the tape?

[medjuck]

hank lost his teeth and a lung???

it just sucks how, like, at this same time, sonny rollins would be playing to 10,000 people at like europe kool jazz fest or something, and hank was in a little bar in new york all sick........

Uhhh what does one thing have to do with the other?

[Dave James]

hank lost his teeth and a lung???

it just sucks how, like, at this same time, sonny rollins would be playing to 10,000 people at like europe kool jazz fest or something, and hank was in a little bar in new york all sick........

Uhhh what does one thing have to do with the other?

To coin a phrase, I think Aric is saying "there but for fortune..." I agree.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

I am reminded a bit of the way Coleman Hawkins played at the last period prior to his death.

Personally I see nothing positive about experiencing an artist's music when he has declined to the point where he has become just a thin shadow of his former self. I think Larry's commenr about seeing Bird's autopsy photos is on target.

i was not aware of this. you mean the bearned coleman hawkins era? he wasnt sounding too good?