The lush string arrangements, the wailing saxophonics, the return of a true jazz talent-James Carter’s latest album, the Billie Holiday tribute Gardenias for Lady Day, is a lovesome thing. My family listens to it every night. It’s great to have some new J. Carter on the hi-fi after three years of him being oh-so-quiet, so you can imagine the ensuing delight at the JT offices when another new Carter disc, Live at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, showed up in the mail a few days ago. Smiles were in abundance and champagne flowed like a shampoo model’s tresses. Two new Carter CDs in one, six-month period? Tightness.
Live at Baker’s comes out April 6 via Warner Bros. and is in many ways another tribute album. But Gardenias honored a person. Baker’s lays the props on a place-Carter’s hometown Detroit. The disc, recorded at the famed Motor City venue, is loaded with performances by local scene stalwarts, from the famous David Murray and Johnny Griffin to lesser-known players like Kenny Cox and Gerald Gibbs. The CD’s nine tracks are culled from three nights of music caught on tape last summer and include versions of Eddie Harris’ oft-played “Freedom Jazz Dance,” and the Leonard Feather tune “Low Flame.” None of them dip below seven minutes in length-lots of improvising here, for sure.
Track list:
Tricotism (Oscar Pettiford)
Soul Street (Jimmy Forrest)
Freedom Jazz Dance (Eddie Harris)
I Can’t Get Started (Vernon Duke)
Free and Easy (Don Byas)
Low Flame (Leonard Feather)
Sack Full of Dreams (Gary McFarland)
Foot Pattin’ (George Duvivier)
Personnel:
James Carter-Soprano, tenor and baritone sax
Johnny Griffin-Tenor
David Murray-Tenor
Franz Jackson-Tenor, vocals
Larry Smith-Alto
Dwight Adams-Trumpet
Kenny Cox-Piano
Gerard Gibbs-Organ
Ralph Armstrong-Bass
Leonard King-Drums
Richard “Pistol” Allen-Drums
And if you can’t wait to hear Carter’s live sound, catching the man on tour is so totally possible right now. Check out the tour dates:
3/09/04 Tucson, AZ Centennial Hall
3/10/04 Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Ctr. For Arts
3/11/04 Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Ctr. For Arts
3/12/04 Las Vegas, NV Artemus W. Ham Hall
3/13/04 Los Angeles, CA Royce Hall UCLA
3/14/04 Palm Springs, CA Annenberg Theatre
3/15/04 El Cajon, CA E County Performing Arts Center
3/17/04 Arroyo Grande, CA Clark Center For Performing Arts
3/18/04 Santa Barbara, CA Lobero Theatre
3/19/04 Berkeley, CA Zellerbach Hall
3/20/04 Vacaville, CA Vacaville Performing Arts Ctr.
3/23/04 Santa Rosa, CA Luther Burbank Center
3/24/04 Chico, CA Laxson Auditorium
3/26/04 Salem, OR Elsinore Theatre
3/27/04 Olympia, WA Washington Center
