"Do It Again" is a classic rock tune composed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, originally released on the band's 1972 debut album Can't Buy a Thrill. Harold Mabern's rendition on his 2014 album Afro Blue transforms the song into a jazz vehicle, performed in G minor with a 24-bar AAB form at 150 beats per minute in a funk groove. The choice of a Steely Dan composition is fitting, given that Becker and Fagen were themselves deeply influenced by jazz and employed top jazz session musicians throughout their career. The funk feel preserves some of the original's rhythmic DNA while opening the door for jazz improvisation. Guitarist Peter Bernstein is the featured guest on this track, contributing two choruses of electric guitar soloing that span over a minute. Bernstein's warm, rounded tone and blues-inflected vocabulary make him an ideal interpreter of this material, bridging the worlds of jazz and rock with ease. Mabern follows with two choruses of his own on piano, his funky, gospel-tinged approach to the keyboard well-suited to the groove-oriented context. The pairing of guitar and piano solos over this crossover material reflects the album's adventurous programming, demonstrating Mabern's willingness to draw from a broad musical palette while keeping the improvisational quality firmly rooted in jazz tradition.
