A Slice of the Top

A Slice of the Top is an album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded on March 18, 1966. The album was not released on the Blue Note label until 1979. It features performances by Mobley with a larger than usual ensemble of trumpeter Lee Morgan, euphonium player Kiane Zawadi, tuba player Howard Johnson, alto saxophonist James Spaulding, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. The arrangements were written by Duke Pearson. On the original LP, Reggie Workman was mistakenly identified on the sleeve as the bassist.

A Slice of the Top
Studio album by
Hank Mobley
Released1979
RecordedMarch 18, 1966
StudioVan Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
GenreJazz
Length38:39
LabelBlue Note
LT 995
ProducerAlfred Lion
Hank Mobley chronology
Straight No Filter
(1966)		 A Slice of the Top
(1979)		 Third Season
(1967)
Alternative cover
1995 limited CD reissue

Composition and Release

Mobley composed the music for the album in 1964 while imprisoned for a narcotics offence. The sheet music was given to Duke Pearson to arrange while Mobley was incarcerated.[1]

Mobley was bitter about Blue Note delaying the release of the album until over a decade after it was recorded. In an interview, Mobley complained:

I have about five records on the shelf - Blue Note had half the black musicians around New York City, and now the records are just lying around. What they do is just hold it and wait for you to die.[2]

Reception

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars, stating: "Mobley, who continued to evolve into a more advanced player throughout the 1960s, fits right in with such adventurous players as altoist James Spaulding, trumpeter Lee Morgan (with whom Mobley recorded frequently), pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins. The inclusion of Kiane Zawadi on euphonium and Howard Johnson on tuba adds a lot of color to this memorable outing."[3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[4]

Track listing

All compositions by Hank Mobley except as noted

  1. "Hank's Other Bag" – 7:12
  2. "There's a Lull In My Life" (Mack Gordon, Harry Revel) – 5:25
  3. "Cute 'N Pretty" – 7:36
  4. "A Touch of the Blues" – 8:46
  5. "A Slice of the Top" - 9:40

Personnel:

Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone James Spaulding - alto saxophone Lee Morgan - trumpet Kiane Zawadi - euphonium Howard Johnson - tuba McCoy Tyner - piano Bob Cranshaw - bass Billy Higgins - drums

References
  1. Gilbreath, Aaron. "What Is and What Could Be: Hank Mobley, by Aaron Gilbreath | Conjunctions — The forum for innovative writing". www.conjunctions.com. Archived from the original on 2020-03-16. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  2. Brody, Richard. "The Haunted Jazz of Hank Mobley". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  3. Yanow, Scott. Hank Mobley: A Slice of the Top – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  4. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 143. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
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