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Afro Blue

by Harold Mabern

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD in 8-panel digipak featuring Harold Mabern interview and photography by Jimmy and Dena Katz. Also includes digital download of entire album.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Afro Blue via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    180-gram double LP mastered for vinyl by Kevin Gray and pressed at Memphis Record Pressing. Features a tip-on gatefold jacket with photography by Jimmy Katz and a 2,000-word interview with Harold Mabern about the project. Released to celebrate Harold Mabern’s 80th birthday on 20 March 2016.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Afro Blue via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    edition of 1000  21 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      $30 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $8 USD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 6 Harold Mabern releases available on Bandcamp and save 10%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Mabern Plays Coltrane, Mabern Plays Mabern, The Iron Man: Live at Smoke, To Love and Be Loved, Afro Blue, and Right on Time. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $48.60 USD or more (10% OFF)

     

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The Chief 05:07
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Mozzin' 05:50
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about

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.”

credits

released April 14, 2015

Harold Mabern - piano
John Webber - bass (except 5)
Joe Farnsworth - drums (except 5)

GUEST VOCALISTS
Gregory Porter - vocals (tracks 2 & 3)
Norah Jones - vocals (tracks 4 & 5)
Jane Monheit - vocals (tracks 6 & 7)
Kurt Elling - vocals (tracks 8, 9 & 10)
Alexis Cole - vocals (track 11)

GUEST GUITARIST
Peter Bernstein - guitar on "Do It Again"

HORNS
Jeremy Pelt - trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 & 11)
Steve Turre - trombone (tracks 2, 4, 6 & 11)
Eric Alexander - tenor saxophone (except 5, 12, 13 & 14)

Recorded Live August 21 & 29, 2014
at Sear Sound, Studio C, New York City

Produced by Paul Stache
Associate Producer: Damon Smith
Recorded & Mastered by Roman Klun
Studio Assistants: Ted Tuthill & Grant Valentine
Mixed by Roman Klun & Paul Stache
Photography by Jimmy Katz
Design by Damon Smith & Paul Stache

Gregory Porter appears courtesy of Universal Music France
Norah Jones appears courtesy of Blue Note Records
Kurt Elling appears courtesy of Concord Jazz Records
Jeremy Pelt appears courtesy of High Note Records
Eric Alexander appears courtesy of High Note Records

Executive Producers: Frank Christopher & Paul Stache

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Harold Mabern New York, New York

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. ... more

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