About
Hank Mobley opens the solo sequence with one flowing chorus of tenor saxophone on "The Back Beat," his melodic style perfectly suited to the tune's unhurried groove. At approximately 180 BPM over Horace Silver's unusual 48-bar AAB form in E-flat, Mobley's playing embodies the relaxed, bluesy character of the composition, his phrases unfolding with natural grace and rhythmic ease. As the first of three soloists, his single chorus sets a warm, inviting tone for the performance. The composition's emphatic rhythmic feel, with its emphasis on beats two and four, creates the irresistible forward motion that Silver cultivated in all his groups.
Hank Mobley was 26 to 27 years old at the time.
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