HANK MOBLEY

Hank Mobley circa 1956. The stakes were particularly high in the making of this portrait because Mobley is one of my main influences as a saxophonist. There's not a lot of source material of Mobley to pull inspiration from and the record covers are too iconic to copy. I wanted to create an image that reflects how I see Mobley, which is largely driven by how he plays. Mobley's solos are their own compositions right down to the perfect endings. He's not as polished as Sonny Stitt but there's an undeniable greasy wobble to his lines. I did more preliminary pencil sketches for this portrait than maybe any other. So here he is: noble, steeped in bebop and the blues, completely himself, squeaks and all.  

-Allen
Owner/Artist, The Jazz Dive

READY TO HANG FRAMED PRINTS:

• Printed on archival paper with 0.875″ black frame and 2" mat.
• 16x16" or 24x24" (21"x21" or 29"x29" framed). 
• Kraft paper backing.
• Hanging wire installed.
  
  
• Custom sizes available.