HAROLD MABERN - Afro Blue
Smoke Session Records SSR-1503
Collective personnel
Harold Mabern ( pno ) Jeremy Pelt ( tpt ) Eric Alexander ( tnr ) Steve Turre ( tmb ) Peter Bernstein ( gtr ) John Webber ( bass ) Joe Farnsworth ( drs )
Special Guests
Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Jane Monheit, Kurt Elling & Alexis Cole ( vocals )
Recorded live New York City, 21st & 29th August 2014
I approached this album with some trepidation looking at the list of singers who were featured with pianist Harold Mabern. Firstly there was Gregory Porter who I find difficult to take seriously with his oddball headgear although he has a fine voice. Secondly there was Norah Jones and Jane Monheit who I have always considered to be on the fringes of jazz. Finally there was Kurt Elling who appears to find it difficult to sing a song straight but neglects to bring out the best in his material. This album has gone some way to alter my opinion.
Gregory Porter’s interpretation of “Afro Blue” as you would except receives the Latin treatment and he is backed by the full ensemble of musicians. He manages to make something of a fairly trite number and the band gets into the spirit of the number. His second number is a much more reflective proposition and contains an interesting tenor solo by Eric Alexander.
Norah Jones first number “Fools Rush In” has fine arrangement with a spot on vocal and another good solo by Eric Alexander but it is overshadowed by Harold Mabern’s piano solo. For her second number Norah Jones is accompanied by just Harold Jones superb piano. The song is “Don’t Misunderstand” the on song written by Gordon Parks and this is the stand out track on the album with both the participants contributing to it’s success. Jane has chosen two well known standards, “I’ll Take Romance” and “My One and Only Love” which she sings well enough but she is clearly not a jazz singer the jazz content is provided by Harold Mabern and a thoughtful tenor solo by Eric Alexander on her second song.
Kurt Elling’s first number is Charlie Parker’s “Billie’s Bounce” which you would expect is a scat vocal which he does rather well and has a straight ahead trumpet solo by Jeremy Pelt which captures the mood of the number. His second number is a straight reading of “A Portrait of Jennie” which I found as good as any vocal version of the song I have heard and there is another good lyrical solo by Jeremy Pelt. For his final number he has chosen a more contemporary song ”You Needed Me” which under different circumstances may well have become a hit.
Alexis Cole is not a singer I have not come across before but she has a good voice and vocal style and Harold Mabern should be pleased with her interpretation of his song and she could be a name to watch out for.
There are four non vocal tracks the best of which are two piano tracks but there is an interesting track with guitarist Peter Bernstein added which provides a degree of variety.
This album has gone some way to changing my opinion of some of the singers but it is an album worth a punt if only for the excellent piano of the leader Harold Mabern.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Smoke Session Records SSR-1503
Collective personnel
Harold Mabern ( pno ) Jeremy Pelt ( tpt ) Eric Alexander ( tnr ) Steve Turre ( tmb ) Peter Bernstein ( gtr ) John Webber ( bass ) Joe Farnsworth ( drs )
Special Guests
Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Jane Monheit, Kurt Elling & Alexis Cole ( vocals )
Recorded live New York City, 21st & 29th August 2014
I approached this album with some trepidation looking at the list of singers who were featured with pianist Harold Mabern. Firstly there was Gregory Porter who I find difficult to take seriously with his oddball headgear although he has a fine voice. Secondly there was Norah Jones and Jane Monheit who I have always considered to be on the fringes of jazz. Finally there was Kurt Elling who appears to find it difficult to sing a song straight but neglects to bring out the best in his material. This album has gone some way to alter my opinion.
Gregory Porter’s interpretation of “Afro Blue” as you would except receives the Latin treatment and he is backed by the full ensemble of musicians. He manages to make something of a fairly trite number and the band gets into the spirit of the number. His second number is a much more reflective proposition and contains an interesting tenor solo by Eric Alexander.
Norah Jones first number “Fools Rush In” has fine arrangement with a spot on vocal and another good solo by Eric Alexander but it is overshadowed by Harold Mabern’s piano solo. For her second number Norah Jones is accompanied by just Harold Jones superb piano. The song is “Don’t Misunderstand” the on song written by Gordon Parks and this is the stand out track on the album with both the participants contributing to it’s success. Jane has chosen two well known standards, “I’ll Take Romance” and “My One and Only Love” which she sings well enough but she is clearly not a jazz singer the jazz content is provided by Harold Mabern and a thoughtful tenor solo by Eric Alexander on her second song.
Kurt Elling’s first number is Charlie Parker’s “Billie’s Bounce” which you would expect is a scat vocal which he does rather well and has a straight ahead trumpet solo by Jeremy Pelt which captures the mood of the number. His second number is a straight reading of “A Portrait of Jennie” which I found as good as any vocal version of the song I have heard and there is another good lyrical solo by Jeremy Pelt. For his final number he has chosen a more contemporary song ”You Needed Me” which under different circumstances may well have become a hit.
Alexis Cole is not a singer I have not come across before but she has a good voice and vocal style and Harold Mabern should be pleased with her interpretation of his song and she could be a name to watch out for.
There are four non vocal tracks the best of which are two piano tracks but there is an interesting track with guitarist Peter Bernstein added which provides a degree of variety.
This album has gone some way to changing my opinion of some of the singers but it is an album worth a punt if only for the excellent piano of the leader Harold Mabern.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
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