Cedar Walton-Hank Mobley Quintet • Breakthrough

 

Although recorded 14 years before he died, 1972's Breakthrough was one of the final recordings the lamentably under-appreciated tenor great Hank Mobley made (he also guested on a 1980 Tete Montoliu record). Mobley, an especially lyrical and melodic tenor titan, had recorded prolifically - and consistently well — between 1955 and 1970, mostly (and most substantially) for Blue Note. But health and financial problems severely curtailed his playing during the last decade and a half of his life.

Mobley had just returned from short stay in Paris when he began briefly co-leading this group with pianist Cedar Walton. Mobley and Walton had worked together before on the tenor's 1967 dates, Third Season and Far Away Lands, finding a successful simpatico together. Unfortunately, their 1972 partnership didn't last long and it never had the chance to ascend the heights reached by Walton shortly thereafter with Magic Triangle or Eastern Rebellion. But this one surviving document promised much greatness that never ultimately materialized.

Breaktrhough is a solid, effective hard bop date. But it seems too dependant and dominated by equally underrated baritone/soprano sax man Charles Davis. Nothing wrong with that. But Mobley seems too much a sideman here, briefly coming to the fore on "Early Morning Stroll" (where he and Davis finally gel) and especially well-suited to "Summertime."

Mobley's title piece has the familiar feel of those loose, Prestige bop jams of the 1950s. Everybody solos, but Davis is considerably dominant. Jobim's "Sabia" drops Mobley for a pleasant samba that spotlights Davis and features Walton on electric piano. Walton's wonderful "House on Maple Street," shifts Davis to soprano, brings Mobley back and, in an especially nice touch, catches Walton punctuating on electric piano like an African kalimba. Finally, the "Love Story" theme returns Walton to acoustic piano for trio jazz that's executed with greater style than this sappy theme has ever displayed elsewhere.

It's hard to fault bop when it's this good, with musicians in the league of Walton, Davis and Mobley. As the swan song it ended up becoming for Mobley, though, Breakthrough is just not enough.
By Douglas Payne
October 1, 1999
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/breakthrough-cedar-walton-32-records-review-by-douglas-payne

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Aunque se grabó 14 años antes de su muerte, Breakthrough, de 1972, fue una de las últimas grabaciones del lamentablemente infravalorado tenor Hank Mobley (también participó como invitado en un disco de Tete Montoliu de 1980). Mobley, un titán del tenor especialmente lírico y melódico, había grabado prolíficamente -y siempre bien- entre 1955 y 1970, sobre todo (y más sustancialmente) para Blue Note. Pero los problemas de salud y financieros limitaron gravemente su actividad durante la última década y media de su vida.

Mobley acababa de regresar de una breve estancia en París cuando empezó a codirigir brevemente este grupo con el pianista Cedar Walton. Mobley y Walton habían trabajado juntos anteriormente en las fechas del tenor de 1967, Third Season y Far Away Lands, encontrando una exitosa simpatía juntos. Por desgracia, su colaboración en 1972 no duró mucho y nunca tuvo la oportunidad de alcanzar las cotas que Walton alcanzó poco después con Magic Triangle o Eastern Rebellion. Pero este documento superviviente prometía mucha grandeza que finalmente nunca se materializó.

Breaktrhough es una cita con el hard bop sólida y eficaz. Pero parece demasiado dependiente y dominado por el igualmente infravalorado saxo barítono/soprano Charles Davis. No hay nada malo en ello. Pero Mobley parece demasiado sideman aquí, saliendo brevemente a la palestra en «Early Morning Stroll» (donde él y Davis finalmente gelifican) y especialmente bien en «Summertime».

La pieza de Mobley que da título al disco tiene el aire familiar de las improvisaciones de bop del Prestige de los años cincuenta. Todos tocan solos, pero Davis domina considerablemente. Sabia» de Jobim deja de lado a Mobley para dar paso a una agradable samba en la que destaca Davis y Walton al piano eléctrico. La maravillosa «House on Maple Street» de Walton, cambia a Davis a soprano, trae de vuelta a Mobley y, en un toque especialmente bonito, coge a Walton puntuando con el piano eléctrico como una kalimba africana. Por último, el tema «Love Story» devuelve a Walton al piano acústico para un trío de jazz ejecutado con más estilo del que este tema ñoño ha mostrado nunca en otros lugares.

Es difícil criticar el bop cuando es tan bueno, con músicos de la talla de Walton, Davis y Mobley. Sin embargo, como canto del cisne en el que acabó convirtiéndose Mobley, Breakthrough no es suficiente.
Por Douglas Payne
1 de octubre de 1999
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/breakthrough-cedar-walton-32-records-review-by-douglas-payne


 

Tracks:
1 - Breakthrough - 10:33
2 - Sabia - 4:10
3 - House On Maple Street - 6:33
4 - Theme From Love Story - 6:09
5 - Summertime - 7:36
6 - Early Morning Stroll - 7:59


Credits:
    Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Charles Davis
    Bass – Sam Jones
    Drums – Billy Higgins
    Piano – Cedar Walton
    Producer [Original Recording] – Don Schlitten
    Producer [Series] – Joel Dorn
    Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley

Recorded February 22, 1972

Label:    Savoy Jazz – SVY 17278
Country:    US
Released:    Aug 26, 2003
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Hard Bop
https://www.discogs.com/release/14458869-The-Cedar-Walton-Hank-Mobley-Quintet-Breakthrough

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