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SACD

Harold Mabern – Misty (2007) [Japan 2017] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-222]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 71 Views

Title: Harold Mabern – Misty (2007) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Harold Mabern is a hard bop, post-bop and soul jazz pianist and composer. He is described in The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings as “one of the great post-bop pianists”. This album has been released on the Japanese VENUS label.

Harold Mabern is one of many American jazz artists who have found a lucrative market for their recordings in Japan. This solo piano date is one of his very best efforts, opening with a hard-driving take of Bobby Timmons’ hard bop masterpiece “Dat Dere,” then following it with a thoughtful rendition George Shearing’s unjustly obscure ballad “She.” The pianist’s breezy hard bop treatment of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” makes one forget that it began life as a bittersweet ballad. Mabern’s upbeat performance of Quincy Jones’ “Wail Bait” provokes memories of Bud Powell when he was healthy. Erroll Garner’s “Misty” has long been one of the most requested tunes in night club settings, though Mabern’s percussive setting is quite different from the usual low-key approach. Mabern also includes a pair of originals, including his brisk “Mabern’s Boogie, which would have been right at home during the genre’s heyday, along with his dazzling, hard-charging “Wayne’s Blues.”

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2 min read

SACD

Hans Vonk, Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Male Chorus of the Netherlands Radio Choir – Johannes Brahms: The Final Sessions (2005) [SACD / PentaTone classics – PTC 5186 045]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 75 Views

Title: Hans Vonk, Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, Male Chorus of the Netherlands Radio Choir – Johannes Brahms: The Final Sessions (2005)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Pentatone offer this volume as a premature termination of their survey of Dutch composer Hans Vonk’s work. Perhaps he was best-known in Europe, but his career had international elements as well. His conducting style was deeply rooted in the central European traditions, but his personal credo was service to the composer and to music rather than service to his conductor’s ego. It is astonishing to learn that these final sessions with his old orchestra were conducted from a wheel-chair, and with gestures limited by his disease. Clearly all the musicians were fully aware that his courage at the sessions in August 2003 probably meant the end of his conducting career, and possibly of his life. They responded magnificently. Brahms was one of his great loves and he certainly could create a real Brahmsian sound, but with much more clarity than managed by many other conductors. Brahms has gained a reputation as an indifferent orchestrator, as had Schumann before him. But both of them were used to very different bands compared to our modern symphony orchestras; smaller, with gut strings as well as quieter and more characterful woodwind and brass. Vonk, as demonstrated on this disc, was one of the few modern conductors to balance his orchestras to allow the wonderful details of Brahms’ scores to come through. Here he was also aided by the first-class, truthful and beautifully balanced DSD 5.0 sound for which Pentatone is famed. I have never heard such rich inner detail in all of these works. The Netherlands Radio Symphony play magnificently for him. Strength of purpose, certainty in the passage of tension to relaxation in the structure of the composition, and deeply felt lyricism are the features of these interpretations. Justly so, as Brahms himself was the perfect blender of classicism with romanticism. There are many passages in the Academic Festival Overture and St Anthony Variations which could almost have been written by Beethoven. Both works are given excellent performances which remain in one’s mind long after the disc stops spinning. They are, of course, essential companions to the four symphonies. Both end in triumph and joy and are uplifting indeed. Brahms’ setting of several verses from Goethe’s ‘Winter Journey through the Hartz Mountains’ became his three-part Alto Rhapsody. It has long been a favourite of mine, as it moves from the contralto’s loneliness of unrequited love through lamenting to receiving the sweet balm of consolation. While she may not be Christa Ludwig in her prime, Yvonne Naef here gives a beautifully dark-toned and deeply emotional account. She is splendidly supported by the men of the Netherlands Radio Choir, whose Chief Conductor is the almost legendary Simon Halsey. I have never heard the inner parts of the chorus so clearly depicted, thanks both to Vonk and Pentatone. I have only one gripe about this issue: the absence of the vital texts for the Alto Rhapsody from the insert. I suspect that Vonk himself might be with me in administering this rebuke, especially as the space was taken up with material about himself! While it may appear that this disc is a memorial worth only one playing, it is instead a set of beautiful readings of three essential Brahms works, fully in the Central European tradition. Moreover, it is not marmorial, but a real ‘feel-good’ and life-enhancing disc. What better memorial could a conductor have? Copyright © 2008 John Miller and ~sa-cd.net

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4 min read

SACD

Hannes Minnaar, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Jan Willem de Vriend – Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos (2017) [SACD / Challenge Classics – CC 72763]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 70 Views

Title: Hannes Minnaar, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Jan Willem de Vriend – Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos (2017)
Genre: Classical
Format: DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Here is the box containing Beethoven’s five Piano Concertos performed by Hannes Minnaar and The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jan Willem de Vriend. So far two single volumes had been issued: while the one including Concertos nos. 4 & 5 was acclaimed by Gramophone as: “beginning a Beethoven cycle with the Fourth and Fifth Concertos is a bold move but one that pays off in all sorts of ways”, the same magazine welcomed the disc with Concertos nos. 1 & 2 for “its pleasing mix of finesse and drive”. Now the box also offers the so far unissued Concerto #3. Despite the very large number of recordings already made of this musical corpus, Minnaar and de Vriend have proved that they have something new and totally their own to say about this collection of masterpieces. And it is indeed the peculiar blend of sheer energy and esprit de finesse that can be identified as the distinctive brand or these recordings.

Pianist Hannes Minnaar has made a name for himself as a soloist with three albums to his name, member of the award-winning Van Baerle Trio, and most recently winner of the Dutch Music Award in 2016, the highest available from the Dutch Government. This means being in a safe pair of hands when it comes to the solo parts for Beethoven’s five Piano Concertos. These recordings have already appeared as individual CDs aside from the Third Concerto which, being too short in duration for a physical release, has been download-only until now. There is an interesting aspect of this recording hidden at the back of the booklet. Along with the selection of a Steinway & Sons concert grand by the soloist there is mention of the efforts made by tuner Gerben Bisschop to “prepare the historical tuning of the instrument.” This is not further clarified, but presumably implies a move from equal temperament to a more old-fashioned meantone tuning. You probably wouldn’t notice much difference here in comparison to alternative modern-piano recordings, though it I had to make a call on the character of the piano in relationship to the orchestra then it seems just a little warmer in tone. The trend for piano sound in recent years has been for sparkly brilliance, and this extra touch with regard to the preparation of the piano lends an extra waft of expressive nuance to the whole. That exposed first chord at the beginning of the Fourth Concerto is certainly interestingly textured.

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3 min read

SACD

Hank Mobley – Workout (1962) [APO Remaster 2011] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CBNJ 84080 SA]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 64 Views

Title: Hank Mobley – Workout (1962) [APO Remaster 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This is one of the best-known Hank Mobley recordings, and for good reason. Although none of his four originals (“Workout,” “Uh Huh,” “Smokin’,” “Greasin’ Easy”) caught on, the fine saxophonist is in top form. He jams on the four tunes, plus “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” with an all-star quintet of young modernists — guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones — and shows that he was a much stronger player than his then-current boss Miles Davis seemed to think.

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1 min read

SACD

Hank Mobley – No Room For Squares (1963) [APO Remaster 2010] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CBNJ 84149 SA]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 56 Views

Title: Hank Mobley – No Room For Squares (1963) [APO Remaster 2010]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Why any critic would think that Hank Mobley was at the end of his creative spark in 1963 – a commonly if stupidly held view among the eggheads who do this for a living – is ridiculous, as this fine session proves. By 1963, Mobley had undergone a transformation of tone. Replacing the scintillating airiness of his late-’50s sides was a harder, more strident, almost honking one, due in part to the influence of John Coltrane and in part to Mobley’s deeper concentration on the expressing blues feeling in his trademark hard bop tunes. The CD version of this album sets the record straight, dropping some tunes form a session months earlier and replacing them with alternate takes of the title cut and “Carolyn” for historical integrity, as well as adding “Syrup and Biscuits” and “Comin’ Back.” Mobley assembled a crack band for this blues-drenched hard-rollicking set made up of material written by either him or trumpeter Lee Morgan. Other members of the ensemble were pianist Andrew Hill, drummer Philly Joe Jones, and bassist John Ore. The title track, which opens the set, is a stand-in metaphor for the rest: Mobley’s strong and knotty off-minor front-line trading fours with Hill that moves into brief but aggressive soloing for he and Morgan and brings the melody back, altered with the changes from Hill. On Morgan’s “Me ‘n’ You,” an aggressive but short bluesed-out vamp backed by a mutated samba beat, comes right out of the Art Blakey book of the blues and is articulated wonderfully by Mobley’s solo, which alternates between short, clipped phrases along the line of the changes and longer trill and ostinatos where the end of a musical line is dictated by his breath rather than a chord change. Morgan is in the pocket of the blue shades, coloring the ends of his lines with trills and short staccato bursts, warping them in Hill’s open, chromatic voicings. All eight cuts here move with similar fluidity and offer a very gritty and realist approach to the roots of hard bop. Highly recommended.

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2 min read

SACD

Hank Mobley – Mobley’s Message (1956) [Analogue Productions Remaster 2012] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CPRJ 7061 SA]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 55 Views

Title: Hank Mobley – Mobley’s Message (1956) [Analogue Productions Remaster 2012]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Saxophonist Hank Mobley’s 1956 date for Prestige, Mobley’s Message, is an often overlooked gem of the era. Joining Mobley here is an all-star cast of musicians including trumpeter Donald Byrd, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. Essentially a high-energy blowing session, the album features some stellar bop-oriented improvisation and is well worth seeking out.

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1 min read

SACD

Hank Mobley – Mobley’s 2nd Message (1956) [APO Remaster 2012] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CPRJ 7082 SA]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 62 Views

Title: Hank Mobley – Mobley’s 2nd Message (1956) [APO Remaster 2012]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Hank Mobley’s 2nd Message was recorded on July 27, 1956, just 1 week after its predecessor, Mobley’s Message. This 6 track quintet set features 3 Mobley originals alongside 3 standards & 1st rate accompaniment from trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Walter Bishop, Doug Watkins on bass & Art Taylor on percussion. Analogue Productions’s superb SACD remastering is housed in a miniature recreation of the original LP packaging.

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1 min read

SACD

Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan – Peckin’ Time (1958) [APO Remaster 2011] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CBNJ 81574 SA]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 58 Views

Title: Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan – Peckin’ Time (1958) [APO Remaster 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was overshadowed by more influential tenors such as Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane during his career, but although he wasn’t deliberately flashy or particularly innovative, his concisely measured, round sax tone made him the perfect ensemble player and he was a fine writer, as well, a talent who has often been undervalued and overlooked. The Peckin’ Time session was recorded February 9, 1958 (the LP was issued a year later) and came in the midst of what was a period of whirlwind creativity for Mobley, who recorded work for the Savoy and Prestige imprints as well as six full albums for Blue Note (two were never released — it was not that uncommon for Blue Note to stockpile sessions at the time) in a little more than a year’s time (later Blue Note albums like Soul Station and Roll Call were still well in the future). For this session, Mobley found himself working with a young Lee Morgan on trumpet and in front of a fluid rhythm section that included pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Charlie Persip, and it’s solid stuff, bright and always energetic. All but one of the tracks, a rendering of Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low,” were written by Mobley, and again, his hidden strength was always his writing, and it should probably come as no surprise that the best two tracks here, the title tune “Peckin’ Time” and the wonderful “Stretchin’ Out,” were both penned by Mobley. It all adds up to a fine program, and if Mobley didn’t push the envelope a whole lot, his lyrical and economical playing was always appropriate and graceful, and that’s certainly the case here.

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2 min read

SACD

Hank Mobley – Dippin’ (1966) [Analogue Productions 2011] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CBNJ 84209 SA]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 59 Views

Title: Hank Mobley – Dippin’ (1966) [Analogue Productions 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Dippin’ is one of Hank Mobley’s finer moments, even considering that his entire Blue Note catalog is masterful, particularly his 1960s dates that reveal the depth and dimension of his understanding of harmonic invention — all in the name of groove and swing, of course. This date, recorded on a single day in June of 1965, netted four Mobley originals as well as two covers. The band included trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Larry Ridley, and drummer Billy Higgins. The two-horn front line always served Mobley well. Here, with Morgan, the groove commences from the first notes of the title cut that opens the set. The short bluesy lines burst from the horns, and are turned inside out with elegant yet knotty lines that move the tune almost into pop territory but never venture far from the blues. The sprightly “Recado Bossa Nova,” written by Djalma Ferreira, moves the band outside its comfort zone rhythmically, but Mobley’s horn chart is brilliant. Higgins and Ridley keep the bossa groove natural and steaming as the soloists begin taking the tune apart and putting it back together. There is one ballad on the set, “I See Your Face Before Me” composed by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. On it, Mobley does his best Ben Webster, blowing low and smoky and sweet, but the truth is that it doesn’t belong on a program with so many hard bop swingers. The rest of the session is a pure joy and a fine document of Mobley’s abilities as a bandleader and composer.

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2 min read

SACD

Hank Mobley – A Caddy For Daddy (2009) [SACD / Analogue Productions – CBNJ 84230 SA]

adminFebruary 9, 2026 57 Views

Title: Hank Mobley – A Caddy For Daddy (2009)
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO

Analogue Productions’ Blue Note & Nat “King” Cole Reissues WIN A Positive Feedback 2010 Brutus Award! “…if you haven’t picked up every 1 of the Blue Note & Nat King Cole reissues from Chad Kassem & company at Acoustic Sounds, you’re really missing out!” – David W. Robinson, Positive Feedback, Issue 52 Hank Mobley was a perfect artist for Blue Note in the 1960s. On this LP, which is a straight reissue of the 1965 session, Mobley is joined by trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw & drummer Billy Higgins (a typically remarkable Blue Note lineup) for the infectious title cut, 3 other lesser-known but superior originals, plus Wayne Shorter’s “Venus Di Mildew.” AllMusic: Hank Mobley was a perfect artist for Blue Note in the 1960s. A distinctive but not dominant soloist, Mobley was also a very talented writer whose compositions avoided the predictable yet could often be quite melodic & soulful; his tricky originals consistently inspired the young all-stars in Blue Note’s stable.

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1 min read