Hank Mobley
Tenor Sax Solo on
Old Folks

About

Opening the solo section, this tenor sax improvisation spans a half chorus of the 32-bar AABA form at a ballad tempo of 54 BPM. Mobley delivers a half-chorus solo that showcases his warm, rounded tone and melodic sensibility, qualities that made him what critic Leonard Feather called the middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone. This is the longest solo on the recording in terms of chorus count, suggesting a featured role in the arrangement. The 32-bar AABA form, a staple of the Great American Songbook, offers both structural clarity and ample harmonic terrain for improvisation. Following this solo, Wynton Kelly takes over on piano.

Hank Mobley was 30 to 31 years old at the time.