Hank Mobley: Third Season (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) 1LP

Blue Note, 1980

Recorded in 1967 but not released until 1980 as part of the LT Series, Hank Mobley’s Third Season was a typically high-caliber late-60s hard bop outing by the tenor saxophonist with a heavy focus on his own original compositions. Mobley had expanded his palette the year before on A Slice of the Top, an octet date featuring arrangements by Duke Pearson, but Third Season felt like a return to a looser, small group feel despite the fact that it still featured a 7-piece band. Joining Mobley here are alto saxophonist James Spaulding, trumpeter Lee Morgan, guitarist Sonny Greenwich, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Billy Higgins. The 6-song set includes Morgan’s blues “The Steppin’ Stone,” but otherwise presents a diverse collection of Mobley’s originals including the hard-charging opener “An Aperitif,” laid-back swinger “Don’t Cry, Just Sigh,” breezy “Boss Bossa,” gospel-tinged boogaloo “Give Me That Feelin’,” and the intricate title track.