Really nothing more than a straight blowing session, Workout nevertheless remains Hank Mobley"s finest hour. His four original compositions offer basic blues-funk structures, but with the sympathetic, inspirational support of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, and Grant Green, Mobley uses them to maximum effect. As Leonard Feather astutely points out in the notes, Mobley"s sound falls halfway between the big, heavy sound of Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane and the lighter, airier tones of Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. On this approachable 1961 effort, Mobley is at his most voluble, blending blues and bop into graceful and lucid lines. Jones is particularly perky on drums, Kelly his usual funky and quick-witted self on piano, and guitarist Green the perfect complement to Mobley. Two delightful mid-tempo standards--"The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Three Coins in the Fountain"--add to the joyful mood. --Marc Greilsamer