"The Jazz Messengers" Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Doug Watkins
This 1956 recording was usually named the second of the dozens of "Jazz Messenger" records. The early groups were co led by Blakey and Silver and were active in searching out young talent on the way up. On this lp, Hank Mobley and Don Byrd were the new guys just getting known.
Byrd's trumpet and Blakey's drums are always upstage, but Mobley's mellow, smooth sax is what draws me in. Silver shows he can be subdued and still be creative. This is just great jazz. Only recorded in mono for the purist, but available in fake stereo.
When looking, I found I had two early copies of this. I know I picked these up for about $5 or less... and it bizarre what this stuff goes for now.