Harold Mabern: 1936-2019

Harold Mabern, a pianist who began his ascent to prominence just as jazz began to slip into obscurity but quickly became a hard-bop and soul-jazz legend, died September 17. He was 83. [Photo above of Harold Mabern courtesy of ekathimerini.com]

Born in Memphis, Tenn., Mabern was self-taught and inspired by Memphis pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. In 1954, Mabern moved to Chicago, where he began recording with saxophonist Frank Strozier. He also was close with Memphis saxophonist George Coleman and trumpeter Booker Little. After moving to New York in 1959, Mabern recorded as a sideman for a range of jazz artists expanding into the boogaloo and other forms of popular music.

His rise into the upper ranks of jazz began in 1962, when he recorded with Art Farmer and Benny Golson's Jazztet (The Jazztet: Here and Now). But the most significant turning point came in 1965, when he recorded with Freddie Hubbard (studio), Wes Montgomery (tour), Sonny Stitt (studio) and then a series of vital recordings with Hank Mobley (Dippin'), Lee Morgan (The Gigolo), Jackie McLean (Consequence) and Blue Mitchell (Bring It Home to Me).

In 1968, Mabern began a long career recording exceptional albums as a leader, starting with A Few Miles From Memphis, with saxophonists George Coleman and Buddy Terry. In the 1960s and '70s, his albums leaned toward an elegant form of soul-jazz, unleashing grooves with a gentle funk. His solo albums in the decades that followed had a rich, explorative quality. On the keyboard, he enjoyed opening songs with the same type of knotted mystery and whimsy favored by Erroll Garner, who often left his bassist and drummer guessing about his chosen song until the last few seconds.

Here are 10 of my favorite tracks by Harold Mabern that will serve as entry points to different phases of his discography:

Here's The Dip from Hank Mobley's Dippin'. (1966)..

Here's Mabern with Lee Morgan playing The Gigolo, from the 1968 album of the same name...

Here's There's a Kind of a Hush from Mabern's first solo album, A Few Miles From Memphis (1968)...

There's a Kind of Hush

Here's Mabern's Greasy Kid Stuff from the 1970 album of the same name, with Lee Morgan on trumpet and Hubert Laws on tenor saxophone...

Here's Mabern on the title track to Pisces Calling (1978)...

Here's Mabern playing electric piano with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine on Two for T from Turrentine's Don't Mess With Mr. T (1973)...

Here's Mabern with Gene Ammons playing Jug Eyes from Ammons's The Black Cat! (1971)...

Here's Mabern playing Maybe September from his album Maya with Love (2000)...

Maybe September

Here's Mabern playing Stolen Moments from his Misty album (2007)...

Stolen Moments

Here's Lazybird from Mabern's Philadelphia Bound album (1999)...

Lazybird

Bonus: Here's Mabern with Wes Montgomery on tour in Belgium in 1965 playing Jingles...

And here's Mabern with Montgomery in 1965 playing John Coltrane's Impressions...