Jazz pianist Harold Mabern a superb sideman who sometimes leads

Jazz is often thought of as music for soloists, and the importance of skilled accompanists is easily overlooked. But there are great jazzmen who enjoy the esteem of their peers for performing outstanding supporting as well as starring roles.

One of those is pianist Harold Mabern, 79, from Memphis, Tennessee. He has deep roots in the blues, which anchor his melodically adventurous improvisations. Mabern cites Phineas Newborn as his most important influence, but as Newborn - who was only four years older than Mabern - was also a Memphis native, that may have something to do with hometown civic pride.

When playing behind a soloist or singer, Mabern's understanding of the value of space and the right voicings in the right place serves everybody well, and when he takes solos he makes his point without upstaging the star of the show.

On his latest album, Afro Blue, Mabern merges the leader and accompanist's roles, and reminds us that although he is best known now for backing instrumentalists such as saxophonists George Coleman, Cecil Payne and Eric Alexander, he is also a sympathetic pianist for singers. That's Mabern on the classic 1964 album Inside Betty Carter.

Afro Blue features guest vocalists Gregory Porter, Norah Jones and Jane Monheit performing two songs each, Kurt Elling taking three, and Alexis Cole singing one.

"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," he says.