From the moment when
Art Blakey comes crashing in to establish a kinetic Latin groove on the eponymous opening song,
Hank Mobley's
Roll Call [Expanded] explodes with energy. The first horn heard here is actually
Freddie Hubbard's trumpet, foreshadowing the prominent role that he would have in the sound of this album. The quintet all work together flawlessly, but
Hubbard particularly shines as he plays off of
Mobley's fluid riffs and carries more than a few lines himself, sounding particularly athletic and effortless on the closing track, "The Breakdown."
Mobley's performance throughout the recording is stylish without being restrained, and the strength of his songwriting shines on five of the album's six songs. A warm, laid-back, sweet version of "The More I See You" is also included, with a muted
Hubbard sounding very much like
Miles Davis. It is a nice complement to this collection of originals, which has often been overshadowed by
Mobley's other late-'50s and early-'60s work but is definitely deserving of some attention of its own. [The 2002 reissue adds an alternate take of "A Baptist Beat" as a bonus track.] ~ Stacia Proefrock