Afro Blue by Harold Mabern

AFRO BLUE, Harold Mabern’s second release for Smoke Sessions, features the pianist paired with five distinctive guest vocalists: Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Jane Monheit, Kurt Elling, and Alexis Cole. Mabern provides sensitive and supportive playing behind these incredible singers, and the resulting chemistry makes these songs special. “I love vocalists. I love to play for singers because that’s really how you learn how to play the piano jazz-wise. They go through every aspect of music— changing keys, slow tempos to fast, playing rubato, playing verses, all of the Great American Songbook—that’s really how you learn how to play,” says Mabern.

There is a world of music, and there are a lot of memorable performances on AFRO BLUE, but Mabern’s soulful, blues-driven style is the constant highlight. He is joined by a stellar supporting cast—Jeremy Pelt, Eric Alexander, and Steve Turre form a killer horn section, while John Webber and Joe Farnsworth complete his reliable rhythm team. Guitarist Peter Bernstein also makes a special appearance on Steely Dan’s “Do It Again.” Mabern adds, "I’ll tell you, it was really the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. It was definitely a challenge, but I think we pulled it off. I’m quite pleased with it, you know.”

Harold Mabern was a dazzlingly skilled pianist and a force of nature at the keyboard. NPR described him as "a pianist of percussive fire and boundless soul, with a language that pulled from hard bop, post-bop, Memphis soul and the blues," For over half a century on the scene, he played and recorded with J.J. Johnson, Wes Montgomery, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, George Coleman. Miles Davis, and more.