Uncompromising Expression – Blue Note Records

In perfect timing with the 75th anniversary of Blue Note Records, comes the release of ‘Uncompromising Expression’, the fan’s ultimate Blue Note book. The author, Richard Havers, who did such a good job with ‘The Sound of America’, last year’s history of Verve Records, has excelled himself again with arguably the more popular, cult jazz label.

I don’t need to go into a history of Blue Note Records here, and I’ve posted several time myself this year in connection with the label that is one of my all time favourites. Suffice to say, even if you know the Blue Note story inside out you’ll find lots to treasure in ‘Uncompromising Expression’. Unlike it’s predecessor, this new tome allows more pages focussed on the albums, with around 75 picked and reviewed in detail. Of course, old favourites are there but Havers admirably doesn’t skimp on the very early records or albums from the last 30 years. Hence, casual old-time fans are opened to a new world and hopefully inspired to try records by Glasper, Blanchard, Elling etc. Refreshingly, Havers does not critique the 70s era as harshly as other critics have, and records such as ‘Black Byrd’ and ‘Pressure Sensitive’ are treated on their own merits as they should be.

Up to now, fans of the printed word have had to rely on Richard Cook’s Blue Note Records Biography for their detailed account of the label, the artists and the men behind it. However, after reading Cook’s book (now long out of print anyway) you wonder what possessed him to write it given his apparent disdain for nearly everything released after 1960 (and certainly since 1967). Havers offers his own opinion too but it’s balanced, fair and appealing.

Visually, the book is a delight. You can buy whole volumes dedicated to the artwork of Blue Note, but fans will never tire of seeing their favourite covers lavishly printed, with the added bonus of hundreds of photos, unused shots and other curiosities. My favourite bits are the various photos that were taken for the album covers and then the full photo from which the final image is cropped. The book is printed on good quality, thick paper and although expensive is a treat that will look great alongside your copy of ‘The Sound of America’.

A history of every Blue Note album and full discography is a project for someone with more time than can be reasonably expected and readers seeking an exact fact – i.e. list of who was on every album, catalogue numbers, etc may not find it here but that is not the point of this book. It’s a loving tribute to one of the finest record labels with enough for fans of the label old and new.

File alongside Havers’ Verve book and Ashley Kahn’s work on Impulse (NB Kahn appears to be working on a Blue Note book himself – as of writing Amazon gives a Jan 2015 publishing date – we await with bated breath!).

Albert Ayler – New Grass

Albert Ayler – New Grass, Impulse, 1968

There would be an argument for classing all of Albert Ayler’s albums under ‘rather odd’ but somehow New Grass seems to wear that title particularly well. The whirling solo which is gradually underpinned by a bustling electric bass which opens up the album, followed by Ayler’s  preaching message doesn’t really prepare the listener for what is to come.

By the time ‘New Generation’ comes on a steady R’n’B groove has been laid. Ayler wails some pretty decent blues soloing over the top (doubtless drawing on his time as Little Walter’s sax player) and you can’t help but wonder if someone has swapped the record over whilst you were falling asleep through the righteous bit (There’s a strong claim the spoken passage reveals Ayler’s impending fear over the material that follows – perhaps, but it is rather righteous too). We’re no longer listening to a jazz record in the old sense, even though Ayler’s solo digs deeper and rawer than anything you’d hear on a Ray Charles record. This is really a crossover album.

The folk with the same stunted mentality that knocked Byrd, Hancock or any of the other hard boppers that crossed over to fusion were now faced with a similar problem with Ayler. Fans of free jazz could argue that the leap was greater for Ayler than it might have been for the relatively straight ahead nature of Blue Note favourites Byrd and Hubbard, but just as ‘Places and Spaces’ showcases Byrd’s trumpet just in a different light, Ayler is still the overwhelming presence here. Tracks such as ‘Sun Watcher’ may have a harmless groove but his solo is anything but – the screeches come in after 4 minutes and again there is little doubt to which musician the record belongs.

‘New Ghosts’ continues the instrumental rhythm and blues and ‘Heart Love’, possibly the most familiar track on the album, brings back the vocals in a not totally unlikeable fashion. The gospel leanings of ‘Free at Last’ and ‘Everybody’s Moving’ end the album and leave the listener wondering just quite what it was that they have listened to. I can well imagine how angry the hardcore Ayler fans might have been at the time of release in 1968; but this is not meant to be music to make you angry – quite the opposite. It’s odd, not because it’s weird, but because it is so unexpected.

Blue Note LT Series

From 1979 to 1981, Blue Note released over 40 albums in their ‘LT’ series. These albums were largely unreleased sessions from the Blue Note vaults and the list of artists involved is basically a roll call of the biggest names on the label. These days jazz fans and critics appear baffled to why such excellent music was kept hidden for so long, but of course as any good historian will tell you, we must try and bear the context in mind.

The most commonly given theory for the reason that they may not have been released initially is the direction the label was taking at the time. With pressure to achieve commercial success increasing through the 60s, many sessions that didn’t fit the (1964 hit from Lee Morgan) ‘Sidewinder’ mould for example, got left behind. This is easy to believe and no doubt true too an extent, although a look at the recording dates of the sessions reveals music from as early as ’58 and ’59, through to the 70s; in between lay a decade of big change for Blue Note.

Another reason has to be the sheer amount of sessions recorded by Lion and Wolff through the peak years of the label. Even with the jazz market being in a healthy condition in the late 50s, there would be a saturation point, especially given the label’s well documented generosity of studio time.

It’s a mistake however to think that this means the music left behind is in any way inferior; in actual fact it is often the opposite. At the times the label was chasing the next ‘hit’, some of the more challenging and interesting material was left behind, particularly by the artists more likely to give the label commercial success. Thus we have the likes of Lee Morgan’s ‘Tom Cat’, ‘Taru’ and ‘Sonic Boom’ sessions all kept waiting for over a decade to see the light of day. The label did still give opportunities for more ‘avant-garde’ and forward looking music – take a listen to releases of Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean and Bobby Hutcherson – but this had to be funded somehow. A record label is still a business, after all.

There are still some more unusual occurrences in the LT series however. Some LPs were cobbled together from multiple sessions, and there’s even an LP that was of new music by Horace Silver, that presumably was seen as too good to not put out at the time.

In amongst all this, a casual glance down the list of titles will show a few eye-catching releases by some names that you would not expect to see at all on the Blue Note roster. Blue Note, since 1967 existing under the Liberty/United Artists umbrella, suddenly had joined ranks with the likes of Pacific Jazz Records and the powers that be could mix and match accordingly.

One such artist was the Jazz Crusaders who recorded on Pacific through the 60s. The Blue Note LP LT-1046 from 1980 is their album ‘Live Sides’, taken from 1968 performances. The Jazz Crusaders were in 1980 just The Crusaders, who had just scored a big hit with ‘Street Life’ the year before. LT-1046 could well have been a timely release to cash in on this.

Other musicians previously signed to Pacific who got an outing on Blue Note through the LT series include Joe Pass, (one a reissue of an earlier album and the other an unreleased session (featuring future Tom Waits bass player Jim Hughart), Bill Evans and Gerry Mulligan. Jean Luc Ponty is another name familiar to many but surely not in this context. The violinist was signed to Atlantic at this stage in his career, but had previously recorded for both Pacific and Liberty.

A handful of the LT releases formed part of the larger ‘Blue Note Reissue Series’, which started in the mid 70s with BN-LA catalogue numbers, and consisting mainly of compilation albums.

 

 

Charles Lloyd Quartet – A Night In Copenhagen

There is a fair bit of this months jazz press dedicated to saxophonist Charles Lloyd. The veteran musician has an album out in a few weeks of live performances from 1965, featuring Gabor Szabo, Ron Carter and Pete La Roca – a class act if ever there was one. This comes hot on the heels of the release of a DVD – ‘Arrows Into Infinity’ – a documentary about Lloyd, made by hs wife Dorothy Darr. Having not heard or seen these yet, this blog post is not about them, nor is it about the well documented tale of Lloyd disappearing from music for years, only to be coaxed back by pianist Petrucciani in 1980. This is about a live album, released on Blue Note in 1984, which initself shows how grateful we should be that Lloyd did come back.

Charles Lloyd Quartet – A Night in Copenhagen 

1984, Blue Note, BT 85104

Engineer – Jorn Jacobsen

Charles LLoyd – Tenor Sax, Flute, Chinese Oboe; Michel Petrucciani – Piano; Palle Danielsson – Bass; Son Ship Theus – Percussion; Bobby McFerrin – Vocals

1. Lotus Land
2. Lady Day
3. El Encanto
4. Third Floor Richard
5. Night Blooming Jasmine

So far in my series of blog posts about Blue Note albums, I’ve focussed on the classic era – the 50s and 60s. The takeover by Liberty in 1967 saw a gradual shift in the sound and the steely determinedness not to become irrelevant or left behind. But in truth, by the 1980s, jazz as a genre was left behind. Fragmented into more styles than ever before, artists had to adapt and diversify or risk getting left out in the cold. There are some amazingly great 70s jazz records out there but to compare them to (to my ears) the golden era of the late 50s to mid 60s is to miss the point. They must be taken on their own merit. Falling into the 1980s and admittedly you’ll be scrapping around for longer to find as many albums of high quality – at least in terms of studio albums. Live though, the scene was still thriving, particularly in Europe. For these reasons you could do a lot worse than checking out this live date with Charles Lloyd, with Blue Note now under the Capitol label.

Recorded in 1983 at Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the album opens with the meditative vibes of ‘Lotus Land’, a Coltrane tribute that digs pretty deep and once again confirms Lloyd is in the big league of forward, free thinking jazz musicians, playing expertly here the Chinese Oboe.

The rather fittingly gorgeous ‘Lady Day’ shows a sensitive side to Lloyd and also showcases just how good a pianist Petrucciani was. The highlight of this first half has to be ‘El Encanto’ however, with Lloyd footloose and carefree on the flute, floating the prettiest melody over a gently probing rhythm section, themselves providing more funk than is first realised. It’s a real cute charmer which sees out Side A.

Uber-hip singer Bobby McFerrin makes a guest appearance on ‘Third Floor Richard’ scatting away, cleverly quoting ‘Im beginning to see the light’, before Lloyd’s flute duets with the supple bass of Palle Danielsson. The epic ‘Night Blooming Jasmine’ ends the record with Lloyd playing the achingly haunting melody before some extended improvisations from all involved. A wonderful ending to this not to be overlooked record.

It seems a CD reissue came out last year which might be worth tracking down. I can’t even remember where I got my original copy from now, but it isn’t expensive or particularly unusual. 

Mobley’s Rare Message

Having a browse through the racks of a of local second-hand record shop yesterday, two LPs caught my eye. The first, an original Blue Note – Eric Dolphy’s Out to Lunch, with its classic multi-handed clock cover. I’ve never been a huge fan of this record, despite its legendary status, and in this case my £5 cd version will do just fine, thank you. For that reason I didn’t look close enough to see if it was a US or UK pressing, but either way the £50 asking price seemed pretty fair.

The second record to catch my eye had a heftier price tag – just under £100. It looked vaguely familiar and the title was certainly recognisable – Mobley’s Message, an album featuring a stellar line up of Byrd, McLean and of course old Hank himself. The cover was a light blue, with a black electricity pylon and wires which stood out in stark contrast to the pale background. I flipped it over, allowed myself to think it must be pretty rare to be priced at that, in a shop where most second-hand records floated under £20, and placed it back.

Later last night, I found myself wondering if it was worth the asking price, or indeed if that was cheap. My first stop for such matters is Discogs. Browsing the 7 versions of the album listed there none of them matched the cover that I saw. Strange, but not unusual – this excellent site is after all being added to all the time. A quick check on Amazon, just to gain a potential catalogue number. Plenty with this cover –

 

but, again, that’s not the cover I saw. Hm.

Well, as unscientific as it is, I find Google images often helps in these situations. Entering various search terms – Mobley’s Message, Alternative Cover, Blue, Jazz Message, Donald Byrd Message – I tried all these in various combos, with no luck. No sign of that cover anywhere.

Well, I’m starting to get a little edgy by this point. Why can’t I find it? Surely, I can’t have imagined it. I definitely remember it was called Mobley’s Message. The record shown above lists the same personnel that I saw listed. This is all most peculiar. Eventually, after searching Google again with the term ‘Mobley’s Message Blue Cover’ I found a reference to an album on a jazz forum. Someone has  copy of this album which they believe to be quite rare, with “The cover has a black telegraph pole and wires painted on top of a light blue background”. This was it! No picture, but this was definitely the one. I eagerly scrolled for the response.

Apparently, this was a very rare UK pressing by Esquire Records who had limited permission in the late 50s to put out Prestige releases. Ah ha! It goes on to say that these releases were of higher quality that the originals and the sound is usually excellent. The original poster has put up the catalogue number (32-029), which I then also did a quick search for. Very few results appeared, and those that did were mainly from a few years back when it seems a couple of copies sold auction sites for over the $200 mark.

Well I never. You rarely get such a find around these parts. I haven’t made my mind up whether to go back and get it yet, and I probably won’t. I don’t think it will hang around too long, and for an amateur collector such as myself, £95 is a fair whack. But it is sure tempting…. I’d be interested to know if anyone else has bought copies of LPs put out by Esquire Records, and what the quality is like. Fellow jazz blogger London Jazz Collector posted a list of catalogue numbers here sometime ago. If you’ve heard any – let me know! And for those of you wondering what that alternative cover looks like – it’s here

–

Grant Green – Carryin’ On

I for one was delighted when a re-issue of Grant Green’s ‘Carryin’ On’ was released a few years ago. Time for a fresh look at an album that features the recently departed Idris Muhammed on drums.

Grant Green – Carryin’ On

1969, Blue Note, 4327

Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder; Cover Photo – Francis Wolff

Claude Bartee – Tenor Sax; Willie Bivens – Vibes; Grant Green – Guitar; Clarence Palmer – Electric Piano; Earl Creque – Electric Piano; Jimmy Lewis – Fender Bass; Idris Muhammed – Drums

1. Ease Back
2. Hurt So Bad
3. I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing
4. Upshot
5. Cease The Bombing

It only takes a quick glance of the date of this Blue Note release to realise that it’s going to be stood with both feet proudly in the soul jazz camp. There’s no schmoozy Lou Donaldson or greasy organ sounds, but Bartee’s sax has just the right amount of bite and, crucially, smoothness to fit in alongside Green’s ever-clean guitar tone.

‘Ease Back’ (by The Meters) does just that, and the stand out track from Side one – ‘Hurt So Bad’ takes on a new life from the Little Anthony and The Imperials version. The last track, a James Brown number, is the funkiest of the lot but nothing really catches fire despite some great solos from Green and Bartee.

Flip the disc and you’re faced with two long originals. The first, ‘Upshot’ by Green is a must-hear. A classic soul-jazz number with a repeated riff-like tune, never straying too far off the 12 bar blues path, with some rather plushy falling chords in the turnaround. It’s a true toe-tapper and the extended solos are perfect to let the band get all their funky ideas out.

The final track ‘Cease The Bombing’ can’t help but sound of its time, sounding as it does, like it should have ‘a-message-to-the-world’ lyrics. It may not have aged too well, but the chilled solos are undeniably fine with Green as melodic as ever.

There’s a genuine charm to this album, which although soul-jazz, never leaves you feeling unsatisfied as others are prone to do. It may not be Green’s finest, but you shouldn’t pass it by.

A word on the perhaps unfamiliar cast of musicians – 1969 and ‘Carryin’ On’ was Green’s return to Blue Note after a 4 year gap and on his return he brought 3 of these musicians (Bartee, Bivens and Creque) from Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers (who later recorded a version of Creque’s ‘Cease The Bombing’ ). The drummer, Idris Muhammed (also known as Leo Morris), is, after Green, the best known musician on the record – his tight drumming is never overbearing here but beautifully holds all together as he did as a sideman on so many jazz-funk records and some powerhouse LPs of his own. RIP Idris Muhammed…

Originally on CD as part of BN’s Rare Groove series, you can still pick an Import copy up or re-issue vinyl, but an original won’t set you back too much more. 

Lee Morgan – The Gigolo

Today, 10th July 2014, would have been Lee Morgan’s 76th birthday. In honour, our celebration of Blue Note Records continues with a look at one of the label’s most popular trumpeters.

Lee Morgan – The Gigolo

1965, Blue Note, 4212

Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder; Cover Photo – Francis Wolff

Lee Morgan – Trumpet; Wayne Shorter – Tenor Sax; Harold Mabern Jr – Piano; Bob Cranshaw – Bass; Billy Higgins – Drums

1. Yes I Can, No You Can’t
2. Trapped
3. Speed Ball
4. The Gigolo
5. You Go To My Head

Such was the success of bright young trumpeter Lee Morgan’s 1963 album ‘The Sidewinder’ with it’s danceable, twisting title track that both writer and label continued to try to emulate that success through the following years. These records are not to be dismissed as ‘sidewinder ripoffs’, particularly when as in this instance the same man is writing the tunes. From the label’s point of view, the need for commercial success was also understandable, and could help fund some of the more experimental albums.

So, it is best to treat every Lee Morgan album that falls in The Sidewinder mould as an individual. It just so happens that 1966’s The Gigolo is one of my all time favourites.

It’s hard not to be delighted by the easy-going grooves laid down in the opening ‘Yes I Can, No You Can’t’ with it’s rolling piano and catchy bassline. ‘Speed Ball’ is possibly the highlight of the album though, it’s stop/start rhythms propelling the tune forward, a tune which is hard bop through and through. Great drumming here too from Billy Higgins, the drummer that was equally at home with swinging numbers like this as he was with free jazz. This tune will make you smile.

The title track opens the second side of the original LP and is an extended number, a slightly exotic flavoured number written in a time signature that, I think, keeps changing, but seems to boil down to 3/4. It’s a little more modal than the rest of the album and provides an exciting tension in doing so.

I somehow always forget that Wayne Shorter is the sax man on this record. His best moment comes in the fiery ‘Trapped’. Morgan shines brightly throughout of course, and Harold Mabern Jr is probably the least well-known name here but his solos are a consistent delight.

The album closes, unusually, on a standard ballad. I used to think that ‘You Go To My Head’ was an underplayed tune in general, but I have seen it more and more recently. This eloquent, haunting version played by the sensitive Morgan is right up there with the best.

I own a 1985 Capitol reissue of this LP, which I picked up for a very reasonable £15. The CD version was last issued in 2006 and is pretty easily available. While you’re at it, grab The Rumproller and Cornbread – two other excellent sessions in the same vein. 

Horace Silver – The Jody Grind

Terribly sad to hear that Horace Silver passed away earlier this week. The 85-year-old pianist hadn’t been too well for the last few years of his life, and yet only 15 years ago was still putting out excellent hard-bop jazz. His funky style infused with the cultures of Western Africa and the Caribbean and gave him a popular edge over many of his contemporaries. His name is synonymous with Blue Note records and he recorded prolifically for the label for over 20 years, but there is much to enjoy from his own label – Silveto -and the 90s recordings that saw Silver return to his hard bop routes, after a series of clean-living and spiritually pure (but still great) albums.

As it’s been a while since my last post, I felt I should dedicate this one to a great Blue Note album, to continue my series, and feature one by Silver. There are so many, of course, to choose from, and I’ve gone with 1966’s The Jody Grind.

Horace Silver – The Jody Grind

1966, Blue Note 4250

Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder; Cover – Reid Miles

Woody Shaw – Trumpet; James Spaulding – Alto Sax, Flute; Tyrone Washington – Tenor Sax; Horace Silver – Piano; Larry Ridley – Bass; Roger Humphries – Drums

1. The Jody Grind
2. Mary Lou
3. Mexican Hip Dance
4. Blue Silver
5. Grease Piece
6. Dimples

After the two stone-cold classics (Song For My Father – 1964 and Cape Verdean Blues – 1965) came The Jody Grind. On the outset, it’s tough, muscular swing is a challenging listen. But there are many layers to this work and the musicians are of course, so well selected.

Neither Woody Shaw and James Spaulding are (jazz) household names, and yet their presence is on many great Blue Note LPs from the classic era. I always feel Shaw’s trumpet sound is a hard, brittle one and it’s that cutting edge that makes it so good here – the likes of ‘Grease Piece’ takes no prisoners with its fiery attitude. Spaulding can also play that role and can also veer to the freer side of things, but with just the right dosage here.

Tyrone Washington is a forgotten man of jazz, and his own album ‘Natural Essence’ (one of only 2 in his own name) is worth a listen too. He plays tenor here, and again holds little back. Silver’s piano is as fluid and lyrical as ever – check out the lovely solo on ‘Blue Silver’. Strains of the previous albums come through on ‘Mexican Hip Dance’ and of course the tune you’ll go home whistling is the title track.

It’s a slightly altered 12 bar blues, complete with a classic Silver bassline. It has the potential to break out into a full funk, but on this, the original version, everything is reigned in. Silver’s solo is rather economical but naturally, it sounds just right as it builds up and little repeated patterns and trills over judiciously placed left hand chords lead to some lovely interplay between Silver and rhythmic motives from the band.

If you’re familiar with some of Horace Silver’s music but not this one, it’s got to be next on your list. A note on the title – according to Horace himself, the expression is from WWII, used to describe the guy ‘making out with your old lady’ while you’re away in service!

RIP Horace Silver 1928 – 2014.

I was fortunate enough to get a copy of the CD (issued in 1991!) before it disappeared totally. I don’t think this has been treated to an RVG remaster (maybe why latterly it is often the forgotten album) and no vinyl reissue exists. Your choices are MP3 or paying a little extra for second-hand. It’s worth it…

 

 

Prestige Records Celebrates 65 Years.

Although quite rightly there is a lot of attention at present towards the Blue Note label (including on this very blog), it would be remiss of us to forget an equally influential, important label which is also celebrating its anniversary this year – Prestige Records.

Like Blue Note, Prestige is no longer an independent label. This is no great surprise, of course, and the year Prestige stopped becoming Prestige in its original sense was 1971, when the founder Bob Weinstock sold to Fantasy. However, since it’s conception 65 years ago in 1949 and until the sale, Prestige released hundreds of great jazz albums that ranged from the fiery ‘blowing sessions’ of the 50s through to the soul-jazz sounds of the 60s.

Prestige had always been in competition with Lion and Wolff’s label, with the masterful engineer Rudy van Gelder splitting his time between the two. The well documented difference that Lion allowed and paid for rehearsal time at his sessions no doubt had some effect on the resulting musical documents; however Prestige at it’s best was as seminal as anything else released at the time – classics by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane make sure of that.

Along with the Blue Notes, this year I’ll be looking at some of the lesser known Prestige LPs and the wonderful music on them.

Hank Mobley – Roll Call

As promised, the first of an occasional series of posts dedicated to the great Blue Note catalogue, celebrating its 75 year in 2014. First up, some Hank….

Hank Mobley – Roll Call

1960; Blue Note 4058

Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder; Cover – Reid Miles and Francis Wolff

Freddie Hubbard – Trumpet; Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax; Wynton Kelly – Piano; Paul Chambers – Bass; Art Blakey – Drums.

1. Roll Call
2. My Groove Your Move
3. Take Your Pick
4. A Baptist Beat
5. The More I See Of You
6. The Breakdown

Saxophonist Hank Mobley was once the forgotten man of the tenor sax but of late his star has risen. There is nothing tricky in listening to Mobley’s playing, and it was for this rather vapid reason that he was so often overlooked by jazz fans. The beauty of Mobley is, of course, that he played such a laid back tenor and his rounded sound can be heard on dozens of Blue Note titles from the late 50s through to the late 60s.

Many will start with the brilliant ‘Soul Station’ (1960), which was ‘Roll Call’s predecessor. That rather smooth set is indeed a treat, with Mobley leading a quartet line up. But if you like things with a little more of an edge to them, try  ‘Roll Call’. The blistering opening title track sees the addition of trumpeter Hubbard, playing in a fiery mode, and Blakey is his usual energetic self. Aside from the ‘blowing session’ nature of that track, Mobley gets into his groove nicely with the rather delightful ‘My Groove Your Move’ and ‘Take Your Pick’ keeps the tempo up (check Kelly’s brilliant solo on this!)

The flip side is equally irresistible with the righteously funky ‘A Baptist Beat’ which goes quite a way to show the direction hard bop would develop and become almost synonymous with soul jazz. ‘The Breakdown’ plays like closing show music, as the roll call of performers take one last moment out in the spotlight.

Aside from being an obvious roll call of musicians that no jazz fan would not know of, the album can be seen as a roll call of great Mobley compositions – all but one, the mid-tempo ‘The More I See Of You’ (reminiscent of ‘Soul Station’), are by the saxophonist. Their strength and catchy nature help this album become such a success. Mobley would go on to write even better albums – ‘Dippin’ (1965) is a personal favourite of mine and he would also try is luck at being more commercial (the slightly weaker ‘Reach Out’ (1968) and the hit chasing ‘The Turnaround’ (1965)) but for a pure Blue Note classic, you need ‘Roll Call’.

I’ve got a mid-range vinyl recent reissue, American pressing, CD is very easy to come by too.