{"product_id":"harold-mabern-afro-blue-2lp","title":"Harold Mabern - Afro Blue 2LP","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe style=\"border: 0; width: 700px; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=2561391903\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=333333\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/haroldmabern.bandcamp.com\/album\/afro-blue\"\u003eAfro Blue by Harold Mabern\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eLimited Edition 180-gram double LP released to celebrate Harold Mabern’s 80th birthday on 20 March 2016. Mastered for vinyl by Kevin Gray and pressed at Memphis Record Pressing. Features a tip-on gatefold jacket with Jimmy Katz photography and 2,000 Harold Mabern interview about the project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eAFRO 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThere 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\u003cbr\u003e\nWebber 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.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003ereleased April 14, 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eHarold Mabern – piano\u003cbr\u003e\nJohn Webber – bass (except 5)\u003cbr\u003e\nJoe Farnsworth – drums (except 5)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eGUEST VOCALISTS\u003cbr\u003e\nGregory Porter – vocals (tracks 2 \u0026amp; 3)\u003cbr\u003e\nNorah Jones – vocals (tracks 4 \u0026amp; 5)\u003cbr\u003e\nJane Monheit – vocals (tracks 6 \u0026amp; 7)\u003cbr\u003e\nKurt Elling – vocals (tracks 8, 9 \u0026amp; 10)\u003cbr\u003e\nAlexis Cole – vocals (track 11)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eGUEST GUITARIST\u003cbr\u003e\nPeter Bernstein – guitar on “Do It Again”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eHORNS\u003cbr\u003e\nJeremy Pelt – trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 \u0026amp; 11)\u003cbr\u003e\nSteve Turre – trombone (tracks 2, 4, 6 \u0026amp; 11)\u003cbr\u003e\nEric Alexander – tenor saxophone (except 5, 12, 13 \u0026amp; 14)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eRecorded Live August 21 \u0026amp; 29, 2014\u003cbr\u003e\nat Sear Sound, Studio C, New York City\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eProduced by Paul Stache\u003cbr\u003e\nAssociate Producer: Damon Smith\u003cbr\u003e\nRecorded \u0026amp; Mastered by Roman Klun\u003cbr\u003e\nStudio Assistants: Ted Tuthill \u0026amp; Grant Valentine\u003cbr\u003e\nMixed by Roman Klun \u0026amp; Paul Stache\u003cbr\u003e\nPhotography by Jimmy Katz\u003cbr\u003e\nDesign by Damon Smith \u0026amp; Paul Stache\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eGregory Porter appears courtesy of Universal Music France\u003cbr\u003e\nNorah Jones appears courtesy of Blue Note Records\u003cbr\u003e\nKurt Elling appears courtesy of Concord Jazz Records\u003cbr\u003e\nJeremy Pelt appears courtesy of High Note Records\u003cbr\u003e\nEric Alexander appears courtesy of High Note Records\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eExecutive Producers: Frank Christopher \u0026amp; Paul Stache\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoke Sessions Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56382099259774,"sku":"SSR-1503-LP","price":133.0,"currency_code":"PLN","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0962\/4161\/5230\/files\/SSR-1503-LP.jpg?v=1760095027","url":"https:\/\/8merch.shop\/products\/harold-mabern-afro-blue-2lp","provider":"8Merch Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}