Hank Mobley’s ‘Dippin’’ Arrives On Blue Note Tone Poet Series
The 1966 album from the tenor saxophonist arrives on premium vinyl.
Dippin’, one of most acclaimed works from Hank Mobley’s incredibly acclaimed discography, is returning to vinyl as part of the Blue Note Tone Poet Series. First released in 1966, the album captures Mobley in his prime. Now, Dippin’ will be reissued on 180g audiophile vinyl, cut directly from the original mastering tapes. The album is available for pre-order now.
Coming amid a prolific run of recording sessions that also produced albums The Turnaround and A Caddy For Daddy, Dippin’ consists of six tracks, a combination of originals and renditions of jazz standards. Those standards include “Recado Bossa Nova,” composed by Luiz Antonio and Djalma Ferreira and Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz’s “I See Your Face Before Me.” Accompanying Mobley on the tenor sax are Lee Morgan on trumpet, Harold Mabern Jr. on piano, Larry Ridley on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The album also dips into funk a bit with “The Dip,” while it also works into swing with “The Vamp.”
The recording session was fondly remembered by the other musicians who were there. “Hank was a joy to be around, he never created problems, never got loud and boisterous,” Mabern recalled of the session, which was the only time he recorded with Mobley, according to Downbeat. Though Mabern said that Mobley could sometimes seem withdrawn, “He was pure in heart. Those are the things that made the date easy for us, but he was no pushover: He knew what he wanted; you couldn’t jive him.”
Mobley had a long relationship with Blue Note, releasing albums with the label throughout the 1970s and up until his death in 1986. This isn’t his first release to join the Tone Poet Series, either; recent additions have included his 1957 album Hank and his 1967 work Third Season. The Tone Poet Series is dedicated to uplifting classic releases from the Blue Note archive and presenting them on the highest-quality vinyl for devout fans of jazz.
