• Pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal

Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was at the peak of his powers throughout the early 1960s as he produced a staggering run of hard bop classics including Soul Station, Roll Call, Workout, No Room For Squares, and The Turnaround.

Recorded in 1961, Workout was an energetic quintet outing featuring Mobley with guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The spirited five-song set consisted of four dynamic Mobley originals—“Workout,” “Uh Huh,” “Smokin’,” and “Greasin’ Easy”—that proved to be ideal vehicles inspiring vigorous improvisations from each of the soloists. The lone standard “The Best Things In Life Are Free”—taken from the musical Good News—was a showcase for Mobley’s more lyrical side.

PERSONNEL:

HANK MOBLEY - (tenor sax)
GRANT GREEN - (guitar)
WYNTON KELLY - (piano)
PAUL CHAMBERS - (bass)
PHILLY JOE JONE - (drums)

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, March 26, 1961

TRACKS:

A1. Workout
A2. Uh Hubh

B1. Smokin'
B2. The Best Things In Life Are Free
B3. Greasin' Easy