Harold Mabern A Few Miles from Memphis

[andybleaden]

Just got this and I am knocked out. A two lp cd with Rakin and Scrapin and A few miles from memphis!

I used to have Rakin and Scrapin on lp but sold that in the big clear out...got this today and with a new set on .....what can I say ...It is out of this world.

The Memphis set came out as Prestige PR 7568 and Rakin and Scrapin was reissued on OJC on LP and this now gives me four solid Mabern LPs from Prestige.( I picked up the Wailin' and Greasy kid stuff- on another two fer)

I would strongly recommned this cd or the other two fer for some gorgeous music in the late hard bop style)

Heres what all about jazz had to say about it :

Harold Mabern

A Few Miles From Memphis

Prestige

2004

A transplanted Chicagoan by way of Memphis, pianist Harold Mabern gigged with an incredible array of jazz talent during his youth. His colleagues, recounted in the liners to this recent two-fer, read like a VIP list of hard and post-bop talent: Miles Davis, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Frank Strozier, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Art Farmer� I could easily go on, filling the limited word count of this review with a bevy of other names. Suffice it say Mabern�s substantial talents were discovered early. As a consequence of his early bloomer status sessions as a leader became a precious commodity. Fortunately he did find time to front groups and the two albums here point to how well his talents as a sideman translated to the lead.

There�s some overlap between the sessions, but the first sets up a quintet with Mabern�s old Memphis friend George Coleman sharing the frontline with fellow tenor Buddy Terry. Bassist Bill Lee (father to famous film director Spike) and drummer Walter Perkins round out the rhythm section. Perkins and Mabern would also share the spotlight as the Modern Jazz Two (MJT). The strong emphasis is on Mabern-scripted tunes, all of which balance the more soulful predilections of the late-60s era with expansive post-bop structures ripe for improvisation. Coleman responds especially well to the balance and his solos on tunes like the title track straddle gutbucket blowing with subtle modernist leanings. Terry is of an older school, his rotund lines sometimes laced with an odd reverb, but he holds his own in the fast company. Lee and Perkins make for a responsive fit, tugging and twisting at the tempos together and crafting elastic support for the soloists. Mabern defers quite often to the horns, but doesn�t relinquish his marquee role entirely, rolling out steady statements of his own on pieces like �Walkin� Back� and the Bossa-scented �A Treat for Bea.�

The second date, originally released as Rakin� and Scrapin� , trades up Terry�s tenor for the cool burn of Blue Mitchell�s trumpet. There�s also a swap behind the drum kit with the youthful Hugh Walker assuming stick traps duties in place of Perkins. Lee sculpts lines of equal weight here, but he shares less of an affinity with the new drummer. The soul jazz trappings are on more prominent display with an exception being the elegant reading of the original ballad �Such Is Life. Mabern�s infectious title track gets the groove percolating by way of a drawn out blues line. Mitchell digs in first after the unison head, peeling off brassy bent notes atop the plush undercarriage of his partners. Coleman sounds less urgent here, but undiminished in terms of focus. Walker contents himself with keeping accent-rich time.

Mabern even annexes room for an electric-piano propelled take on Norman Whitfield Motown chestnut �Heard It Through the Grapevine� where Walker resorts to a regrettably metronome-like rock beat. In sum it�s the lesser of the two dates, but Mitchell�s sassy solos nearly even the score. Mabern would shortly join Lee Morgan�s quintet and create more history with the ensemble�s monumental stand at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach. The seeds of his expansive solos in that context lie right here in two albums made an even greater bargain by their opportune pairing.

Tracks: A Few Miles From Memphis*/ Walkin� Back*/ A Treat For Bea*/ Syden Blue*/ There�s a Kind of Hush*/ B&B*/ To Wane*/ Rakin� and Scrapin�/ Such is Life/ Aon/ I Heard it Through the Grapevine/ Valerie.

Personnel: Harold Mabern- piano; George Coleman- tenor saxophone; Buddy Terry- tenor saxophone; Bill Lee- bass; Walter Perkins- drums; Blue Mitchell- trumpet; Hugh Walker- drums. Recorded: March 11* & December 23, 1968, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Edited November 10, 2005 by andybleaden

[andybleaden]

These are the other two worth getting hold of on the Wailin two fer

The Greasy Kid LP I never found until fantasy reissued it as part of the two fer ......thumbs up all around for both of these.....

Any other fans of these out there?

Enjoy!

( ps sorry bout the edits....my photo editor is playing tricks on me!)

more info from fantasy

HAROLD MABERN

Wailin'

Prestige PRCD-24134-2

Harold Mabern (b. 1936) is in the middle of an impressive line of Memphis-born, blues-saturated, post-bop pianists that began with Phineas Newborn, Jr. and continues with James Williams. Mabern, whose keyboard sound is among the most powerful extant, is in strong company on these 1969 and '70 small group dates, featuring monster tenor man and old Memphis friend George Coleman, flutist Hubert Laws, and the late trumpeter Lee Morgan, in whose last band Mabern was an integral part. Ranging from modal explorations to balladic beauties, from waltzes to Motown to the blues, Wailin' was an important step in the pianistic and compositional developments of Harold Mabern.

Strozier's Mode, Blues for Phineas, I Can't Understand What I See in You, Waltzing Westward, A Time for Love, Greasy Kid Stuff, I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do, XKE, Alex the Great, I Want You Back, John Neely-Beautiful People

with Virgil Jones, Lee Morgan, George Coleman, Hubert Laws, Joe Jones, Buster Williams, Leo Morris, Idris Muhammad

Edited November 10, 2005 by andybleaden

[ejp626]

Yes, I've got both CDs. Fine stuff. Sadly I had to leave them in storage, so can't say too much more about them. I learned about Mabern kind of late in the game. After I saw him live with Eric Alexander, I was quite impressed and sought out some of his hard to find CDs on DIW.

[BFrank]

Harold plays regularly with George Coleman and is on a number of his albums, too. And let's not forget his incendiary piano on Lee Morgan's "Live at the Lighthouse" set.

[Ron S]

And what about his Venus recordings? I'm on a Venus kick right now and am thinking of getting a Mabern or two.

[Peter Friedman]

To be honest, I am not all that crazy about Mabern's Prestige recordings. I much prefer his recordings on D.I.W. , Sackville, and Venus. My favorites are the one he did on D.I.W.

[Cali]

Harold's a beautiful cat! Remember he's on other excellent Lee Morgan albums like THE GIGOLO, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE LAST SESSION and the recently reissued Jackie McLean Blue Note, CONSEQUENCE with Lee Morgan and Billie Higgins.

[Brad]

I had the Mabern on Venus and to be honest it didn't do much for me. I much prefer the Memphis Cd. Another good one is Straight Street on DIW.

[Peter Friedman]

Brad,

Which Mabern on Venus did you have? I have 4 Venus CDs by Harold as follows:

Don't Know Why

Fantasy

Falling In Love With Love

Kiss Of Fire

These three Mabern Trio CD's on D.I.W. are particular favorites of mine.

Mabern's Grooveyard

Lookin' On The Bright Side

Maya With Love

[Eric]

I love Mabern's playing on this: