Harold Mabern
Harold Mabern (born March 20, 1936 in Memphis, Tennessee) is a hard bop and soul jazz pianist.
Early in his career, Mabern played in Chicago with Walter Perkins' MJT + 3 in the late 1950s[1] before moving to New York in 1959. Mabern has worked with Jimmy Forrest, Lionel Hampton, the Jazztet (1961-1962), Donald Byrd, Miles Davis (1963), J. J. Johnson (1963-1965), Lee Morgan (1965), Hank Mobley (1965), Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Joe Williams (1966-1967), and Sarah Vaughan. In more recent years, he has recorded extensively with his former William Paterson University student, the tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander.(1)
He performed in a video recorded session with Wes Montgomery in 1965 that is currently available on DVD as Wes Montgomery Live in '65.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mabern led four albums for Prestige Records, performed with Lee Morgan, and recorded with Stanley Cowell's Piano Choir. Harold Mabern has recorded as a leader for DIW/Columbia and Sackville and toured with the Contemporary Piano Ensemble (1993-1995).
A longtime faculty member at William Paterson University, Mabern is a frequent instructor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Discography
As leader
- A Few Miles from Memphis (1968)
- Rakin' and Scrapin' (1968)
- Workin' and Wailin' (1969)
- Greasy Kid Stuff! (1970)
- Falling in Love with Love (2002)
- Joy Spring (2006), solo piano
As sideman
With Art Farmer
- Perception (Argo, 1961)
- Here and Now (Mercury, 1962) - with Benny Golson
- Another Git Together (Mercury, 1962) - with Benny Golson
With Freddie Hubbard
- The Night of the Cookers (Blue Note, 1965)
With J. J. Johnson
- Proof Positive (Impulse!, 1964)
With Roland Kirk
- Reeds & Deeds (Mercury, 1963)
- The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra (Mercury, 1964)
With Jackie McLean
- Consequence (Blue Note, 1965)
With Blue Mitchell
- Bring It Home to Me (1966)
With Hank Mobley
- Dippin' (Blue Note, 1965)
With Lee Morgan
- The Gigolo (Blue Note, 1965)
- Live at the Lighthouse (Blue Note, 1970)
- The Last Session (Blue Note, 1971)
With Frank Strozier
- MJT + 3 (1960)
- March of the Siamese Children (1962)
- Remember Me (1976)
- What's Goin' On (1977)
with Eric Alexander
- Mode For Mabes (1998) Delmark
- The First Milestone (2000) Milestone
- The Second Milestone (2001) Milestone
- Summit Meeting (2002) Milestone
- Nightlife In Tokyo (2003) Milestone
- Dead Center (2004) HighNote
- It's All In The Game (2006) HighNote