{"id":563,"date":"2012-03-06T08:00:05","date_gmt":"2012-03-06T12:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelteager.com\/blog\/?p=563"},"modified":"2014-02-16T12:52:38","modified_gmt":"2014-02-16T16:52:38","slug":"mth-v-james-carter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaelteager.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/06\/mth-v-james-carter\/","title":{"rendered":"MTH-V: James Carter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have I really gone this whole time without featuring James Carter<\/a>? Shame on me!<\/p>\n

I remember the first time I heard Mr. Carter: I was listening to Lazaro Vega’s\u00a0Jazz From Blue Lake<\/em><\/a>\u00a0one night in early 2000 (a nightly ritual at that time), and that night’s featured artist was James Carter. Every night featured a different musician, composer, or other theme, but Vega was especially enthusiastic about Carter for a few reasons:
\n1. He was getting ready to release both Chasin’ The Gypsy<\/a><\/em>\u00a0and Layin’ In The Cut<\/a>. <\/em>You’d be hard pressed to find two more disparate simultaneous releases by the same artist. (Gypsy<\/em>,\u00a0a tribute to Django Reinhardt<\/a> featuring his cousin Regina Carter<\/a>, is one of my absolute favorite jazz albums. I’ve pretty much had it on repeat for twelve years.)
\n2. James Carter is a proud Detroit native, and lets everyone know it.
\n3. Carter attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp<\/a> while a student (although he was featured in faculty groups<\/a>). \u00a0(Read that last link if you have time. Neat stuff.)<\/p>\n

I was immediately hooked while listening to Lazaro Vega’s program that night. I’d never heard anyone do anything on the saxophone (just pick one) until that point. And in a number of ways, I’m still waiting to see\/hear another\u00a0saxophonist – jazz, classical, or otherwise – make some of those noises. I really do think that, as a sheer technician of the instrument, James Carter is the top in the world. It’s easy for any musician to recognize his chops, but, saxophonically speaking, he’s on another level – his own level. The horn (saxophone, clarinet, flute, etc.) is simply an extension of him, sounding whatever he hears in his head. Of course, such skill can be a dangerous. In his early work, especially the first two albums, he seemed more interested in showboating than making music. But as his music has matured right along with him – he recorded those first albums at 23 and 24, respectively – and his artistry now complements his talent.<\/p>\n

I have most of his albums, and while I’m not as much of a blind fanboy as I was in my late teens and early twenties, JC remains one of my favorites. I’ve seen him (I think) seven times, and each one was a real treat and quite different from the others. He’s one of jazz’s most exciting performers, always giving 110% and bringing the audience TO ITS FEET. (I seriously thought the crowd would lose it<\/span> at 2004’s Detroit Jazz Festival.)<\/p>\n

The following videos should serve as a good sampler for JC newbies. And if you’re a fan, enjoy anyway. \ud83d\ude42 The rhythm section – all Detroiters – is the same for both videos<\/del> featuring a full band: Gerard Gibbs<\/a>, Ralphe Armstrong<\/a>, Leonard King<\/a>. (They KILL IT live.) [NOTE: Correction: the pianist for the first video is not Gerard Gibbs, but I believe it is another Detroiter, the late Kenn Cox<\/a>. Got mixed up with all the different videos I contemplated for this post.)<\/p>\n

“(I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone”
\nA trademark opening cadenza.
\n[NOTE: A studio recording of this same tune can be found on Gardenia’s for Lady Day<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0 He’s playing Cannonball<\/a> horns for this performance, not Yamaha, his then-signature brand. And yet he still tears it up…didn’t I just write about this?<\/a> :)]
\n*Embedding for this video disabled; please view here<\/a> – it’s well worth the click*<\/p>\n

“Nuages”
\nBurnin’ – Cater’s solo in the latter half (7:27) is indicative of his pedal-to-the-metal live style. Go hard or go home…
\n[NOTE: A very <\/em>different but wonderful studio recording can be found on Chasin’ The Gypsy<\/em>. This recording also features Chicago’s Corey Wilkes<\/a>.]
\nhttp:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ufkuda8qfJk&<\/p>\n

Some fun on bass… \ud83d\ude42
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