James Carter Albums (13)
What The Critics Say
Heaven on Earth finds saxophonist James Carter performing live at the Blue Note Club in N.Y.C. in May of 2009. Backed by a select small group of musicians including organist John Medeski, bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Adam Rogers, and drummer Joey Baron, Carter runs through a short list of standards and lesser-known covers. In contrast to his generally swinging, straight-ahead 2008 studio release Present Tense, Heaven on Earth features Carter's idiosyncratic penchant for mixing old-school bop blowing and avant-garde skronk with a bit more greasy funk this time around per the inclusion of Medeski. In that sense, what at first may appear as yet another average live album reveals itself to be a much more interesting proposition. From the start, Carter is at his iconoclastic best reworking Django Reinhardt's "Diminishing" into less of a gypsy-jazz jam and more of a fractured and propulsive fusion-oriented work-out. He then wrangles Lucky Thompson's "Slam's Mishap" into a thumping and soulful roil bringing his own solo to a head with a series of bluesy goose-strangling squeals. That Rogers follows up with an urbane Kenny Burrell-inflected turn is a welcome rub. Never one to shy away from grand drama, Carter goes for the gusto midway through with a florid and voluptuous take on the ballad "Street of Dreams" that ends in bright audience claps and shouts of approval. In fact, the crowd seems to really dig the music and it's nice to actually hear how enthusiastic they are throughout out the album. They are particularly audible during Carter's gut-bucket rendition of the Ike Quebec/Leo Parker blues "Blue Leo" which showcases the extroverted saxophonist's flair for avant-garde split-tones and layered multi-phonic techniques that never lose sight of the earthy intentions of the tune. More than just a live date, Heaven on Earth is a knotty, adventurous document that allows for as much group interplay as it does for spotlighting Carter's long-recognized virtuosity. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Present Tense was born out of two very specific desires. First, saxophonist James Carter wanted a precise recorded portrait of where he was at as a musician, aesthetically and technically. Second was producer Michael Cuscuna's dead-on assertion that Carter, for all his instrumental and aesthetic virtuosity, had never been represented well on tape. Carter's inability to resist overdoing it on virtually everything he records (ten-minute solos in standards, etc.) makes that point inarguable. Cuscuna proves to be the perfect producer -- as both ally and foil -- and reins Carter in to benefit the recording as a whole. The band on Present Tense is solid: the young trumpeter and fellow Detroiter Dwight Adams, pianist D.D. Jackson, bassist James Genus, and drummer Victor Lewis round out the quintet, with percussionist Eli Fountain and guitarist Rodney Jones playing on three cuts each. The program is wide-ranging and eclectic, but it locks. It offers a portrait of Carter as an exciting traditionalist who can stretch arrangements and previous interpretations to the breaking point, without simply making them egotistical statements about him as a soloist. Dave Burns "Rapid Shave" opens the set on a stomping, storming, Blue Note-style hard bop workout with Carter's tenor and Adams' trumpet playing the 24-bar jump blues with joyous abandon. Adams' comps push the fat harmonic center straight to the front. Genus and Lewis offer sprightly tempos and interesting rhythmic accents. Adams proves he can hang with the big fellows nicely in his own solo. Carter's "Bro. Dolphy" is one of the most compelling and emotionally satisfying tunes on the set, with Carter on bass clarinet. It opens as an angular, slightly dissonant harmonic sprint but gives way to some of the most lyric balladry Carter has ever composed; one can hear his love of Billie Holiday in the melody even as he evokes Dolphy's own love of the blues and simpler melodies. But this isn't enough by a long shot, and before long the ballad gives way to a stomping, Mingus-style workout, the very kind that showcased Dolphy's artistry as both a soloist and arranger. Django Reinhardt's ballad, "Pour Que Ma Vie Demeure," with Carter on soprano, is lovely. It lowers the intensity and features a fine solo by Genus. Other standouts include Dodo Marmarosa's "Dodo's Bounce," with Carter on flute and Adams playing a muted trumpet. Its elegant, cool swing is balanced by Jones' semi-percussive strum that adds a weight to the rhythm section. Jones also appears on the Carter original "Bossa J.C." Fountain's congas shimmer in this samba, which contains a post-bop force inspired by Ray Barretto's tough Latin jazz sensibility and the lyricism of Tom Jobim. Carter's solo seeks the places where the tune's melody breaks out, and succeeds in finding it. Jones follows the roll of rhythms in his single-string and chord voicings as he alternates between George Benson-esque funk and Baden Powell's elegant textural statements. It works without a hitch. Whether it's in the sprinting bop pyrotechnics of Gigi Gryce's "Hymn of the Orient," or the off minor tropical blues of Jimmy Jones' "Shadowy Sands," or the balladry of the standard "Tenderly," Present Tense showcases Carter at his most disciplined and ambitious. Even his originals -- check "Sussa Nita" -- use the tradition in ways he hasn't employed before. This may be Carter's finest album because of its insistence on the balance between restraint and adventure. Carter placed himself in Cuscuna's expert hands and it has paid off handsomely. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Given the glut of "String Quartet Tribute to So and So," "Electronic Tribute to Some Crappy Band," and "Pickin' on Whomever" "tributes," it's somewhat surprising that no one has tackled Pavement in a tribute album -- not until now, at any rate. And even more surprising is that it's not one of those aforementioned knockoffs; it's a heavyweight jazz session with James Carter, Cyrus Chestnut, and Reginald Veal, three of jazz's finest players on their respective instruments (rounded out by the talented Ali Jackson on drums). You may be asking, "what the hell are a bunch of jazzbos doing playing Pavement tunes?" The short answer, "making a great album." Remember, underneath their slacker image and loose, lo-fi aesthetic, Pavement's best tunes were memorable and melodic with interesting (though sometimes ramshackle) arrangements. Carter and Company play to those strengths as a unit, and Gold Sounds is an overwhelming success, not just as a tribute but as a jazz album. Chestnut's sparkling Fender Rhodes shines throughout, and Veal really shows his versatility on both electric and acoustic bass. James Carter is hands down one of the greatest reedmen alive: he can play it tender or can summon squalls on his instruments that rival electric guitars. As a group, the entire band is locked into each other and the tunes (just listen to the tradeoffs between tenor, Rhodes, and drums as Veal holds the groove on "Stereo"), which generally don't depart drastically from the original arrangements beyond the instrumentation. "Summer Babe" is one of several highlights, with great electric bass and soulful playing. With judicious overdubs, Carter adds a second tenor and Chestnut comps on Hammond organ while soloing on Rhodes (and check out Carter's percussive comping). "Cut Your Hair" is slowed way down with more great Rhodes/Hammond work and Carter's soulful soprano. Toward the end, they kick it into high gear by upping the tempo for the outro. "Blue Hawaiian" is built on the same smooth bassline, and Chestnut sends his Rhodes through a Leslie speaker to great effect as Carter tears it up on tenor and Jackson dances around the beat. The set closes with a rousing solo piano version of "Trigger Cut." If you're a Pavement fan, you owe it to yourself to check out what these guys do with the songbook. If you're a jazz fan, forget that these tunes come from the world of indie rock; in the hands of Carter and Chestnut, they might as well be undiscovered standards. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded in 2004 at the Blue Note in New York, Out of Nowhere finds James Carter paired up with fellow Detroiters Gerard Gibbs on organ and Leonard King on drums for the unofficial sequel to Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge. While the trio revitalizes the standard "Out of Nowhere" and breezes through Benny Golson's jazz classic "Along Came Betty," the fireworks really get under way on "Highjack." The tune signals the fervent arrival of its composer, guitarist James Blood Ulmer, and by the conclusion the quartet is joined by fiery multi-saxophonist Hamiett Bluiett. Carter and Bluiett then take center stage for a baritone sax duet on "Song for Camile," Bluiett's beautiful ballad initially recorded with the World Saxophone Quartet, of which he is a member, on their organ-drenched 1995 date Breath of Life. Ulmer directs the proceedings through Chicago blues territory with a quick and loose "Little Red Rooster," which leads into R. Kelly's 1996 pop hit "I Believe I Can Fly." Now, before indifference gets the best of you, in the hands of these musicians the tune receives a quick conversion from ballad into a quasi-Latin groove, through burning funk -- in which Gibbs absolutely shines -- and finally the reeds irreverently take it out honking and squawking in a manner that would have made Lester Bowie smile. Like its predecessor, Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge, Out of Nowhere provides an admirable cornucopia of modern jazz from Carter and friends. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
'Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge'
Release Date 4/6/2004
Tracks 8
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Between 1995 and 2004, Detroit saxophonist James Carter released several conceptual discs: a salute to Django Reinhardt (Chasin' the Gypsy), electric-era Miles Davis (Layin' in the Cut), jazz ballads (Real Quiet Storm), and a lush Billie Holiday tribute (Gardenias for Lady Day). With the release of each disc, the unavoidable question remained: would Carter ever put out another straight-ahead session in the vein of his early-'90s recordings JC on the Set and Jurassic Classics? Happily, Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge makes up for lost time. Carter and an amazing array of musicians took flight for three nights in June 2001 at Baker's in Detroit, featuring guest appearances by David Murray and Johnny Griffin alongside fellow Motor City natives Franz Jackson, Kenny Cox, Dwight Adams, Larry Smith, and Gerard Gibbs. On this set Carter frequently switches reeds, easily juggling tenor, soprano, and baritone saxophones, while his rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Ralphe Armstrong and the split drumming duties of Leonard King and the late Funk Brother Richard "Pistol" Allen (who passed away in 2002) keep the music simmering until the heat rises once again. Carter's choice of cover material is impeccable and well balanced. Instead of lazily strolling through the same old tried and true standards and songbooks, Carter and associates re-ignite tunes from the pen of Oscar Pettiford ("Tricotism"), Jimmy Forrest ("Soul Street"), Eddie Harris ("Freedom Jazz Dance"), and Don Byas ("Free and Easy"), before slowing the tempo on "I Can't Get Started," "Low Flame," and "Sack Full of Dreams," culminating with the four-tenor blowout of George Duvivier's "Foot Pattin'." The only time the train jumps the tracks is during "Soul Street." Organist Gibbs uses a synthesized, sampled vocal section that sounds like a mechanical Swingle Singers. The technology itself may be intriguing, but the results are completely out of place in this context. Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge finds Carter cutting loose like a musician who's been conceptually sidetracked long enough. This is a back to basics blowing session and concepts be damned! ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
'Gardenias for Lady Day'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 8
Label Columbia
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What The Critics Say
Following up his 2000 tribute to guitarist Django Reinhardt, Chasin' the Gypsy, saxophonist James Carter pays homage to iconic jazz singer Billie Holiday on Gardenias for Lady Day. Perhaps never before has the jazz iconoclast balanced so perfectly his "big top" avant-garde leanings with his more pinstriped traditionalist aesthetic. This is a beautiful album that revels as much in classic melody as it does in Carter's most torrid saxophone "skronk." Although the album largely succeeds on Carter's virtuosic performance, it gains most of its character from the deft and unpredictable orchestral arrangements of Greg Cohen and fellow Detroiter Cassius Richmond. In particular, Richmond brings a cinematic quality to the album with his treatments of "Sunset," "I Wonder Where Our Love Is Gone," and "Gloria" that breathe and swell, rubbing dramatically against Carter's muscular sound. Similarly, Cohen -- who has worked with such N.Y.C. downtown scenesters as John Zorn, David Byrne, and Tom Waits -- brings a quirky and epic quality to his tracks. Featuring a very Nina Simone-esque performance by vocalist Miche Braden, Holiday's most famous number, "Strange Fruit," is magnified by Cohen into a brooding film noir that ultimately descends into an apocalyptic barrage of screams and wails, with Carter and Braden manifesting all the anguish and anger the song implies. It is unclear if the orchestra and band recorded at the same time, but even if they did not, Carter's stellar rhythm section featuring pianist John Hicks, drummer Victor Lewis, and bassist Peter Washington lends an organic quality to the proceedings that feels natural and lithe. Continuing to display a unique and singular vision, Carter has crafted a fittingly urbane, elegant, and unnerving album that celebrates both Holiday's haunting spirituality and earthy sexuality. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The second of James Carter's pair of 2000 releases shifts wildly, and perhaps trendily, toward electric funk, as the title cut proclaims within seconds. It's really a loose, collective electric jam session with all of the risks, occasional hot streaks, and passages of torpor that the term implies. Oddly enough, the tracks that really make it are those that are credited to only one composer: guitarist Jef Lee Johnson's stimulating Prime Time-like melee, "Terminal 8," that gathers momentum like a freight train; Carter's cooking "There's a Puddle" that explodes into a freeform burst on cue at the end; and Carter's "GP." The collectively credited pieces are the ones that tend to go nowhere, often desperately in need of editing or clear direction. At all times, though, Carter is a freewheeling dynamo on soprano and tenor saxes, not afraid to reach wildly to the outside even when the funk backgrounds are merely mild mannered. Carter draws from the New York City avant-garde scene for help: Marc Ribot is the other electric guitarist, Jamaaladeen Tacuma plays bass, and the volatile drummer G. Calvin Weston tries with partial success to mix things up. Carter says that he intends to pursue this direction in the future -- with hopefully less diffuse results. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
James Carter celebrated 2000 by putting out two vastly different albums at the same time, an amazing concession from a major label for a jazz artist who doesn't sell in Kenny G-like proportions. Chasin' the Gypsy, as you might guess, is an homage to Django Reinhardt, whose music Carter used to dig on Detroit radio when he was a teenager, but Carter doesn't take the predictable reverent path in paying his respects. He rummages through his closet and pulls out a rarely used bass saxophone on three cuts -- the bumpy sounds are often comic yet a comfortable fit for his antic style -- and even tries out an F mezzo sax on the exotically relaxed "Oriental Shuffle." Back on tenor, Carter's slippery playing often doesn't hesitate to approach the outside; he keeps his sense of humor and his individual quirks intact. Most of the tunes are Django's yet the one that comes closest to evoking the frantic Hot Club Quintette drive is Carter's own title track, a madcap chase indeed with Carter on wild soprano sax this time. A nostalgic accordion underpins the tango-like "Nuages" รก la Piazzolla; violinist Regina Carter provides the Stephane Grappelli-like foil on a few tracks (she does all right but could be a bit looser); and Jay Berliner and Romero Lubambo occasionally summon the ghost of Django with their respectively steel and nylon-stringed solo and rhythm guitar work. Mostly, this is a delightful departure for Carter, though probably destined to be a one-off excursion. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
'In Carterian Fashion'
Release Date 5/19/1998
Tracks 10
Label Atlantic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
James Carter is the Arturo Sandoval of the reeds, a remarkable virtuoso who can seemingly do anything he wants on his horns. It is just a matter of passing time and accomplishments accumulating before Carter is thought of as one of the all-time greats. This particular CD, In Carterian Fashion, differs from his earlier ones in that Carter (who switches between tenor, soprano and baritone sax, and bass clarinet) is joined by one of three organists (Henry Butler, Cyrus Chestnut and his regular pianist Craig Taborn) instead of piano, which of course changes the sound of the ensembles. However, only a few of the songs come across as Jimmy Smith-style soul-jazz. Carter stretches from bluesy tunes to Don Byas' swinging mid-'40s romp "Don's Idea," to some avant-garde explorations, and a few strong hints at Rahsaan Roland Kirk (particularly on the soprano feature "Trouble in the World") and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Trumpeter Dwight Adams sounds fine during his four appearances, particularly when trading off with Carter on "Don's Idea," and altoist Cassius Richmond (who is on three of the trumpet pieces) is also excellent. However, the dominant voice throughout is James Carter's, who in general is a little more restrained, which makes his fiery explosions and colorful tonal distortions really stand out. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'Conversin' with the Elders'
Release Date 6/4/1996
Tracks 9
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
The brilliant saxophonist James Carter and his quartet (which also includes pianist Craig Taborn, bassist Jaribu Shahid and drummer Tani Tabbal) welcome some of Carter's musical heroes as guests throughout Conversin' with the Elders. Carter matches wits with the eccentric trumpeter Lester Bowie on "Freereggaehibop" and the often-hilarious "Atitled Valse"; he also features the legendary (but rarely recorded) Detroit altoist Larry Smith on "Parker's Mood," showcases Count Basie veterans Harry "Sweets" Edison and Buddy Tate on two swing standards apiece (Tate's work on clarinet during "Blue Creek" is memorable), and interacts with baritonist Hamiet Bluiett on "Naima" and an Anthony Braxton march. Switching between tenor, alto, baritone and bass clarinet, Carter makes each of his guests feel at home while pushing them to stretch themselves. A consistently colorful and generally swing-oriented set. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
