Search - Hank Mobley :: Hi Voltage

Disappointing Mobley session

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 03/30/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm one of those listeners so addicted to the blues-drenched, butterscotch-smooth sound of Hank Mobley's tenor that I can scarcely last a week without playing one of his recordings. So as a completist, I ordered the newly reissued "Hi Voltage," which turns out to be a mediocre recording by the "middleweight champion" of the tenor saxophone.



When the recording was made in the late sixties, the pure lyrical style associated with Mobley was falling out of favor, and rather than going with another straightahead session with rhythm section, Hank elected to try for a "harder and hipper" ensemble sound suggestive of the Jazz Crusaders or Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil."



The problem is that the extra horns (Blue Mitchell and Jackie McLean) drastically limit Hank's solo time (often to a single chorus), and the all-original program by Hank includes none of his best compositional efforts. With the exception of the program's one bright spot--a subtle, nuanced ballad, "No More Goodbys"--the tunes are forgettable, spartan heads and blues-based riffs. "Advance Notion" at least features an inventive variation on a simple idea along with solid contributions by all the principals. But the remaining tunes are played over funk-rock rhythms and end with engineered fade-outs (a sure sign of flagging compositional inspiration). The sum result is pretty much a "period piece" of little artistic consequence and, sadly, most likely of little profit to the underappreciated tenor giant.



Several years after this date I would hear Hank live with Gene Ammons at the Brown Shoe in Chicago. He was so wasted, disoriented, and incoherent (Downbeat Magazine had reported that he had lost two horns and was playing on a borrowed instrument held together by string) that we could only breathe a collective sigh of relief when Jug took it upon himself to usher Mobley off stage and finish the set as the sole tenor. "High Voltage" reminds me of the increasingly desperate attempts of Hank to find an audience before becoming a non-factor by the mid-seventies.



To hear why Mobley is one of the most melodically inventive, unforced and satisfying, yet frequently risk-taking and "reactive," improvisors (and that utterly unique and natural sound! something you want to take with you to bed), start with earlier Blue Notes such as "Soul Station" and "Work Out." Or pick up "Miles Davis Live at the Blackhawk" on Columbia (I'm on my 3rd edition). I've never heard a more moving tenor solo than Hank's on "Bye Bye Blackbird," even if Miles' publicized response to him was a mixture of condescension and indifference. The man had so much to give, and on his best recordings he's not afraid to let it all hang out."

Caution: "Hi Voltage" Turned On Again

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 02/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The most recent batch of Blue Note RVG releases will make many a jazz fan salivate as several extremely hard to find, previously out-of-print CDs are being made readily available once more. This particular title, Hank Mobley's "Hi Voltage" has been a rare find over the years, and unavailable on CD since the late 1980s. Thankfully, Michael Cuscuna has persuaded the EMI execs to once again turn "Hi Voltage" back on! In my recent review of "The Flip" I said that this disc, for my money, was Mobley's last solid effort for Blue Note. Well, now the jazz populace will be able to hear for themselves if my statement was accurate. This October 9, 1967 sextet session features trumpeter Blue Mitchell, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, pianist John Hicks (in a rare BN appearance), bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins, all in top form. The album builds on the success of the earlier "A Caddy for Daddy" and "Dippin" with tight funky frontline interplay and great grooves. I'm withholding a fifth star because in my opinion this title doesn't compare to his early 1960s dates like "Soul Station" or "No Room for Squares" (see my review of the latter). But don't get me wrong, the power is definitely on on "Hi Voltage.""

Do not write this one off

Swing King | Cincinnati, OH USA | 02/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hank Mobley (1930-1986) recorded this album on October 9, 1967 at Rudy Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. "Hi Voltage", while it is superior to the product of many lesser artists, features a late period Hank Mobley, and for that reason is not considered to be among his very best. Notwithstanding, this recording can stand up strongly on its own merit.



Hank is accompanied by some excellent sidemen on this album, including: Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Jackie McLean (alto sax), John Hicks (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums). Track one and title track, "High Voltage", features some mighty fine solo work by Blue Mitchell on trumpet suggestive of a Lee Morgan influence. On track five, "Bossa De Luxe", Mobley returns a bit to his hard-bop roots with some talkative solos. To classify the track as samba or bossa nova music would be incorrect, notwithstanding the title.



Rudy Van Gelder has remastered this edition of "Hi Voltage", the transfer from analog to digital were made at 24-bit resolution. The sound quality is superb, experiencing no crackles or apparent impurities. And really, who better to task with this remaster than the man who recorded it back in 1967? You can trust the Rudy Van Gelder Edition reissues to radiate with clarity and integrity. If new to Mobley and wondering what some of his best releases may have been, I would suggest "Soul Station", "Workout" or "Another Workout".

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