Hank Mobley – Dippin' (Blue Note Tone Poet)

Hank Mobley’s Dippin’ catches the tenor saxophonist in 1965, deep into the mid-’60s Blue Note run that also produced The Turnaround and A Caddy for Daddy. It’s a concise six-track session, but one that shows why Mobley remains such a rewarding bandleader: the writing is sharp, the grooves are varied, and the quintet balance is superb from the first bars.

With Lee Morgan on trumpet, Harold Mabern Jr. on piano, Larry Ridley on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums, Mobley moves easily between boogaloo, bossa nova, ballads, and hard bop without losing the album’s easy forward motion. “The Dip” opens with a relaxed, funky pull, “The Vamp” adds a tougher modal edge, and “Recado Bossa Nova” lets the band stretch into a Brazilian rhythm with real lightness. Even in a compact format, the record gives a full picture of Mobley’s strengths as both composer and soloist.

That mix of swing, melodic clarity, and subtle adventurousness helps explain why Dippin’ is so often singled out as one of the standout titles from this period of Mobley’s catalogue. For this Tone Poet edition, Blue Note gives the album the kind of presentation it deserves, preserving a session that still feels relaxed, elegant, and quietly full of invention.

Features

• LP, 180g, Stereo, Blue Note Tone Poet Series
• Mastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
• Produced by Joe Harley
• Pressed at RTI
• Deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket

Reviews

• a pure joy and a fine document of Mobley's abilities as a bandleader and composer. - AllMusic.com