Search - Harold Mabern :: Don't Know Why

Great, Old-Fashioned Hard Bop

Stephen A. Smith | Boston, MA | 03/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"------------------
Harold Mabern Trio
"Don't Know Why"
Venus Records 35319 ©20031. Edward Lee 6:19
2. Dance With Me 6:38
3. My Favorite Things 5:18
4. Don't Know Why 4:39
5. Dreamy 6:27
6. Cabu 6:11
7. The Surrey With the Fringe On Top 6:16
8. Nightlife In Tokyo 6:09
9. Blues For David 5:00
10. My Shining Hour 4:33Harold Mabern: piano
Nat Reeves: bass
Joe Farnsworth: drums
------------------Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea are talented, no question. But there's a generation of hard bop pianists still playing in New York who are largely unknown by jazz audiences. And that's unfortunate, because Harold Mabern, Richard Wyands, Barry Harris and the rest are giants. They've been playing twice as long as most "young lions," and they deserve our attention."Don't Know Why" is Mabern's third release for Venus, following "Falling In Love With Love" and "Kiss Of Fire." The former is another trio CD (Reeves is replaced by George Mraz), and the latter features this band joined by tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. They're great albums, all.Mabern is a heavy-handed pianist, the kind you can't help but tap your foot along with. This CD is a hard-swinging affair, perfect for a Sunday afternoon. As I said, Mabern is a practitioner of old-school, hard bop, the classic stuff that many young players seem to have forgotten. (Two notable exceptions are Ben Wolfe and Ned Goold, who sling the old stuff with style.)An interesting asterisk is the title track, a cover of the Norah Jones hit (composed by Jesse Harris). Pat Metheny picked up this tune for his solo baritone guitar CD last year ("One Quiet Night"), and there will likely be future versions. This tune seems to be quickly making its way into the standard repertoire, and Mabern's version is certainly worth a listen.I definitely recommend this five-star CD. Having said that, my favorites among Mabern's albums are two he recorded for another Japanese label, DIW Records -- "Mabern's Grooveyard" and "Maya With Love," both featuring Christian McBride (bass) and Tony Reedus (drums). I think that trio pushed each other more, and I prefer that dynamic. But decide for yourself. Either way, you won't be disappointed."