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John Carter


B. Goren.

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Clarinet is not my favorite instrument in jazz, but John Carter is a different story.

Of course I like his playing but more than that I like his compositions and especially his 5 suites project about the history of the black Americans. I find his compositions very sophisticated and the music sounds very emotional. I am not such an expert in the jazz history but in my humble opinion it was one of the interesting and important projects of 80s. Marty Ehrlich, Bobby Bradford, Richard Davis, Benny Powell & James Newton provide more reasons to listen to these five suites. Anybody else share with me the same opinion???

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John Carter is a favorite. Fields was one of the five part series. The best may have been Castles of Ghana. Carter was a very interesting composer which is highlighted on these recordings. As a clarinetist, some of Carter's best playing may have been on Horace Tapscott's Dark Tree. I also enjoyed the early stuff Carter did with Bobby Bradford and his work with Clarinet Summit.

Edited by relyles
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This has always been a personal favorite:

c396578b2c3.jpg

West Coast Hot

Carter's on alto more than clarinet here, but he sounds fine on both horns. The amazing thing to me about the Carter/Bradford session here is how strong a band this quartet was. The "rhythm" section of Bruz Freeman (Von's brother) on drums and Tom Williamson on bass has got to be one of the most savagely under-documented and under-recognized duos in the history of the music. These guys can play. This group's inevitable comparison to Ornette Coleman's quartet seems both fair and unfair. Sure, these guys knew (and recorded with) Ornette, but they were also making their own music, which was particularly distinctive when Carter picked up the clarinet.

There's also a fine dedication album to Carter by François Houle:

e0844854ziy.jpg

In the Vernacular

Some beautiful music here, including a previously unrecorded Carter composition.

Edited by Late
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John Carter is a favorite.  Fields was one of the five part series.  The best may have been  Castles of Ghana.  Carter was a very interesting composer which is highlighted on these recordings.  As a clarinetist, some of Carter's best playing may have been on Horace Tapscott's Dark Tree.  I also enjoyed the early stuff Carter did with Bobby Bradford and his work with Clarinet Summit.

My local 1/2 Price Book store has an old cd copy of Castles of Ghana for $3.00, I believe. I've picked it up and looked it over every time I've been in there, but always found something I was more knowledgeable about, and ended up getting that instead. Gonna have to go back and get this one.

Been meaning to ask about this title for a while now, thanks for pushing me in the right direction! (on the other hand, for $3.00 why did I even hesitate, right??)

-Erik

Edited by Aggie87
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I have the music form West Coast Hot on the original Flying Dutchman LPs Carter/Bradford's Flight For Four and Tapscott's The Giant Is Awakened. I agree that both are very good. I have also heard the Houle disc and second the recommendation.

Has anyone heard Ab Baar's Free Step: The Music of John Carter? Some day I will pick that one up also.

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An old favorite is the John Carter Quintet 'Variations', a Moers Music LP. Quite an interesting lineup there: Bobby Bradford (who is being discussed on a parallel thread) on trumpet, Carter on clarinet, James Newton on flute, Bob Stewart on tuba and Philip Wilson on drums. Not sure it was released on CD.

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This has always been a personal favorite:

c396578b2c3.jpg

West Coast Hot

Carter's on alto more than clarinet here, but he sounds fine on both horns. The amazing thing to me about the Carter/Bradford session here is how strong a band this quartet was. The "rhythm" section of Buzz Freeman (Von's brother) on drums and Tom Williamson on bass has got to be one of the most savagely under-documented and under-recognized duos in the history of the music. These guys can play. This group's inevitable comparison to Ornette Coleman's quartet seems both fair and unfair. Sure, these guys knew (and recorded with) Ornette, but they were also making their own music, which was particularly distinctive when Carter picked up the clarinet.

The Carter/Bradford material included in the above CD were taken from various sessions which were originally issued on two Flying Dutchman LPs which I've had since they were issued, FLIGHT FOR FOUR and SELF-DETERMINATION MUSIC. They are both quite excellent. It's a shame that they haven't been re-issued in their entirety (to my knowledge) on CD.

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I'd definitely recommend all the "Roots and Folklore" series on Gramavision- "Castles of Ghana", Dance of the Love Ghosts", "Fields" and "Shadows on the Wall". The first in the series "Dauwhe" on Black Saint is less satisfactory when compared to the later recordings imo.

A nice tribute album to Carter is David Murray's "Death of a Sideman" which features Bobby Bradford who also composed the suite.

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An old favorite is the John Carter Quintet 'Variations', a Moers Music LP. Quite an interesting lineup there: Bobby Bradford (who is being discussed on a parallel thread) on trumpet, Carter on clarinet, James Newton on flute, Bob Stewart on tuba and Philip Wilson on drums. Not sure it was released on CD.

It was. I have a copy on my shelves. Not sure if it's still in print, though.

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  • 2 years later...

Guy, if you've ever heard this band and enjoyed them ... you'll like this one. Once again, the rhythm section is something else. When the drummer, Tom Williamson, couldn't find enough work in Los Angeles at that time, he put away his kit and became a tennis coach. The music's loss. :(

Try to track down West Coast Hot, too. These two discs are the best entry into both Carter's and Bradford's work, in my opinion. WCH really deserves a "crown" (if those things matter at all).

(Yep. Love Blythe on The Giant Is Awakened. He also kicks Le Ass on Azar Lawrence's Bridge Into The New Age — though of course that's not on Flying Dutchman.)

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Guy, if you've ever heard this band and enjoyed them ... you'll like this one. Once again, the rhythm section is something else. When the drummer, Tom Williamson, couldn't find enough work in Los Angeles at that time, he put away his kit and became a tennis coach. The music's loss. :(

Try to track down West Coast Hot, too. These two discs are the best entry into both Carter's and Bradford's work, in my opinion. WCH really deserves a "crown" (if those things matter at all).

(Yep. Love Blythe on The Giant Is Awakened. He also kicks Le Ass on Azar Lawrence's Bridge Into The New Age — though of course that's not on Flying Dutchman.)

Sorry to "pick nits", but the drummer is Bruz Freeman (Von's brother). Williamson is the bass player. Great record though.

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