James Carter - Gold Sounds
Artist: James Carter
Title: Gold Sounds
Label: Brown Brothers Records
Reviewed by Eddie Becton
Saxophonist James Carter’s latest release, Gold Sounds, is a unique blend of rhythms that include funk and blues-laced New Orleans jazz (My First Mine) along with a sermon-induced, organ-clad composition, Cut Your Hair. Joining forces with Carter are talented musicians Cyrus Chestnut (piano, organ, keyboards), Ali Jackson (drums and percussion), and Reginald Veal (acoustic and electric bass).
The gem on this disc is Blue Hawaiian. The appeal of this track lay in its dark, vampish melody, largely attributed to thick bass lines by Veal. Carter’s cosmic notes and Chestnut’s nostalgic textures add to the song’s sense of mystery. Carter’s broad range is best exemplified here because, at times, he’s pensive and, at others, borderline frenetic (in a good way). Stretching the register of his saxophone, Carter massages his instrument, conjuring images/sounds resultant from rubbing an air-filled balloon. Chestnut’s sporadic notes are echoed throughout, giving the track a hallucinogenic feel.
Here’s introduction is serene, primarily the result of Chestnut’s circuitous harmonies. The beauty of this track lay in the interaction between Carter and Chestnut. As the track proceeds, the tempo and intensity traverse from a light simmer to scalding. Carter and Chestnut are the primary foci, but Jackson’s thunderous bombs and Veal’s commanding bass lines are eventually woven into the overall melody, making this one of the most passionate tracks on the disc.
Overall, Gold Sounds is a creatively fresh production, stretching the boundaries of the canon. Musicians/artists shun being pigeonholed into specific genres, and rightfully so. Gold Sounds accomplishes what many musicians/artists strive for: freedom, flexibility, and creativity. If those were Carter’s goals, then he successfully accomplished them, and very well.
Track Listing: Stereo/ My First Mine/ Cut Your Hair/ Summer Babe/ Blue Hawaiian/ Here/ Platform Blues/ Trigger Cut.
Personnel: James Carter – all horns; Cyrus Chestnut – all keyboards; Ali Jackson – all percussion and vocals on Cut Your Hair; Reginald Veal – acoustic and electric bass and vocals on Cut Your Hair.