Hank Mobley playing with Tete Montoliu

[Head Man]

The album 'I Wanna talk About You' by Tete Montoliu on SteepleChase has Hank Mobley playing on one of the tracks - 'Autumn Leaves. The date of the session is identified as March, 22 1980 and it was recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark. The other musicians on the date are shown as George Mraz (bass) and Al Foster (drums).

Does anyone know the background to this session and how Hank came to be in Denmark at this time? I didn't know Hank was still recording then.

[Dan Gould]

I was under the impression it was recorded in NY but regardless, it was arranged for Hank to sit in with the Montoliu trio as a "try-out" for Hank to determine if Steeplechase was willing to offer him a record deal. They were not, and when it was issued on CD, they determined that "Autumn Leaves" was the sole cut worthy of release.

[Head Man]

Thanks for that, Dan. That probably explains why it sounds like a 'warm-up' track. Not helped, I must say, by him being backed by one of my least-favourite drummers, Al Foster!

Edited May 29, 2010 by Head Man

[Chuck Nessa]

If memory serves, they did 1 or 2 takes each of Autumn Leaves and Early Morning Stroll. It was done at the end of a trio session.

[cymbalgroove]

Mobley is my all time favorite tenor player and I'm not familiar with this track. 1980 wasn't probably the best year for him. Hank was so so young when he died. What a shame!

[brownie]

When SteepleChase released the session on vinyl, the quartet titles with Hank Mobley were left out.

'Autum Leaves' with Hank Mobley only showed up when the session was released on CD in 1996.

By the way the session was taped in New York with the great Elvin Campbell taking care of the recording.

[EKE BBB]

This is the complete session info, from my Tete Montoliu chronology/discography:

Date: March 22, 1980

Location: New York City

Label: SteepleChase

Tete Montoliu (ldr), Hank Mobley (ts), Tete Montoliu (p), George Mraz (b), Al Foster (d)

a. Warm Up Blues - 2:47 (Tete Montoliu)

b. tk 1 Blues For Wim And Maxine - 6:10 (Tete Montoliu)

c. tk 2 a-02 Blues For Wim And Maxine - 7:28 (Tete Montoliu)

SteepleChase LP 12": SCS 1137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1980)

SteepleChase CD: SCCD 31137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1996)

d. tk 1 a-01 Nexus, Plexus, Sexus - 7:08 (Tete Montoliu)

SteepleChase LP 12": SCS 1137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1980)

SteepleChase CD: SCCD 31137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1996)

e. tk 2 Nexus, Plexus, Sexus - 6:11 (Tete Montoliu)

f. tk 1 I Want To Talk About You - 7:33 (Billy Eckstine)

g. tk 2 b-02 I Want To Talk About You - 11:36 (Billy Eckstine)

SteepleChase LP 12": SCS 1137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1980)

SteepleChase CD: SCCD 31137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1996)

h. Autumn Leaves [aka Les Feuilles Mortes] - 8:09 (Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer)

SteepleChase CD: SCCD 31137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1996)

i. a-03 Scandia Skies - 6:42 (Kenny Dorham)

SteepleChase LP 12": SCS 1137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1980)

SteepleChase CD: SCCD 31137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1996)

j. Confirmation - 7:37 (Charlie Parker)

SteepleChase CD: SCCD 31137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1996)

k. tk 1 Early Morning Stroll - 0:45 (Hank Mobley)

l. tk 2 Early Morning Stroll - 6:50 (Hank Mobley)

m. b-01 Jo Vull Que M'Acariciis - 9:39 (Tete Montoliu)

SteepleChase LP 12": SCS 1137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1980)

SteepleChase CD: SCCD 31137 — I Wanna Talk About You (1996)

Hank Mobley (ts) on f, h, k-l.

Info on unissued takes/songs comes from session logs provided by Nils Winther, owner of Steeplechase.