REISSUES : In Brief

* * * Hank Mobley, “The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley,” Savoy. Originally titled simply “The Jazz Message” when released in 1956, this fine eight-track date comprises two sessions. The inventive, listenable saxophonist Mobley appears on only four tunes, while the equally outstanding trumpeter Donald Byrd and evolutionary drummer Kenny Clarke are heard throughout. Tempos stay in the slow to medium range, allowing for solos packed with gentle yet compelling lyricism on such standards as “When I Fall in Love,” “There Will Never Be Another You” and “I Married an Angel.”

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent). A rating of five stars is reserved for classic reissues or retrospectives.