Harold Mabern Trio - Kiss Of Fire (2001) [2015] Hi-Res

Harold Mabern is a hard bop, post-bop and soul jazz pianist and composer. He is described in The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings as "one of the great post-bop pianists." On this release, Mabern is joined by Nat Reeves on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums, and Eric Alexander on tenor sax.
“While growing up in Memphis, the teenaged Mabern played jazz with peers such as Strozier, tenor saxophonist George Coleman and trumpeter Booker Little. No one, however, affected the young pianist as much as Phineas Newborn, who, at four years Mabern’s senior, became a friend and instructor. “Anything you name about the piano, he had in his playing,” Mabern says. “Complete orchestration, crystal-clear touch, phenomenal technique. He had more technique in his left hand than most of us have in our right hands. He could put his right hand in his pocket and play complete compositions with his left hand.”
(…) Mabern recalls teaching Newborn Clifford Brown’s “Daahoud” when the younger pianist made a return visit to Memphis. “On his first record date, he recorded it, which made me feel good,” Mabern says. “That was my claim to fame: saying I taught my teacher something.”
Mabern has taught his students more than just something at William Patterson College, in New Jersey, where he has taught for 22 years. Each Tuesday, he gives four private lessons and two ensembles. Teaching music from techniques that he learned in “the university of the streets” is not without its challenges, but Mabern sees that rewards come with it, too. “I’ve had some piano students that are so good, they teach me,” he says. “So what I do is teach them songs: Play the music that Charlie Parker played, which was standards. If you can play those, you can play anything. It teaches discipline that way.”
Mabern’s former student Eric Alexander returned the favor and used the pianist on six of his albums, including last year’s Summit Meeting (Milestone). “He’s kept me so busy, in fact I’ve worked more [in 2002] than I have in 50 years,” Mabern says. “He’s getting better right before my eyes. He’s constantly improving because he’s never satisfied.”
Working as a support player and in piano collectives has eclipsed Mabern’s own small but sturdy leader discography. Mabern’s recent LPs have been released only in Japan, including Mabern’s Grooveyard (DIW, 1998)—a solid trio date with Christian McBride and Tony Reedus that features a set of off-the-beaten track tunes and the excellent original “AON”—and Maya With Love.
Along with Summit Meeting, 2002 saw the release of Mabern’s Kiss of Fire (Venus, Japan), which he says turned out to be the best-selling album of his career. Ever the optimist, Mabern points out that these releases have built up a following in Japan, where he toured with Alexander and toured there in March 2003 (…)”.Mike Shanley, Jazz Times

Tracks:

01 - How Insensitive (feat. Eric Alexander) 06:30
02 - It's A Lonesome Old Town 05:58
03 - Nancy (With the Laughing Face) [feat. Eric Alexander] 07:47
04 - Bag's Groove 06:19
05 - Blue Bossa 05:53
06 - Black Orpheus 08:26
07 - Cheese Cake 09:13
08 - Recado Bossa Nova 05:43
09 - Kiss Of Fire 04:57
10 - Brazil (feat. Eric Alexander) 04:40

Personnel:

Harold Mabern - piano
Nat Reeves - bass
Joe Farnswort- drums
Special Guest:
Eric Alexander (1, 3, 7, 10) - tenor saxophone