"If I Should Lose You" is a swinging reading of Ralph Rainger's standard from Hank Mobley's 1960 Blue Note masterpiece Soul Station. Set in a 32-bar ABAC form in F at approximately 179 bpm, the tune provides a medium-up-tempo vehicle that sits in the sweet spot of Mobley's musical personality. His three-chorus tenor saxophone solo is a perfect example of his approach: warm-toned, melodically inventive, and rhythmically buoyant, with a sense of forward motion that pulls the listener along. Mobley's gift for constructing solos with a clear beginning, middle, and end is on full display, each chorus building naturally on the last. Pianist Wynton Kelly follows with two swinging choruses that complement Mobley's style without imitating it, his bluesy touch and rhythmic snap adding a different color to the performance. The rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Blakey provides the kind of swinging, responsive accompaniment that brings out the best in every soloist. This track exemplifies the qualities that make Soul Station a perennial favorite among jazz listeners and musicians alike: impeccable swing, beautiful melodies, and the unmistakable sound of master musicians in complete sympathy with one another.
