James Carter: Gardenias for Lady Day

On “Sunset,” with his contrabass clarinet gurgling on the bottom, Carter is his own quartet in a pre-Castro Havana nightclub. On “I’m in a Low Down Groove” he’s a triple-threat wind section, calling and responding to himself.

If Carter is the main attraction on Gardenias for Lady Day , the CD is enriched by the impeccable support of his collaborators. John Hicks delivers his usual elegant, urbane piano, and strings are integrated organically and arranged precisely on all but two tracks. On “Indian Summer,” the violins, violas, and cellos lilt while Carter’s light-hearted soprano sax builds momentum until it turns speedy, reminiscent of his playing with his Django Reinhardt-inspired group. On “More Than You Know,” Miche Braden sings and scats nonchalantly over the Brazilian-shuffle beat.

Unquestionably this CD’s centerpiece, “Strange Fruit” is Billie Holiday’s signature tale of racism and violence perpetrated against African-Americans. Beginning portentously in a lower register (bolstered by a bass trombone and wind machine in an arrangement by Greg Cohen), an anguished tenor signals the equally pained voice of Braden, which transforms images of bulging eyes and burning flesh into cacophonous vocalizing, lacerating tenor screams, and rolling drums. The stark, brutal expressionism of “Strange Fruit” reminds us that Billie’s legacy transcends the polite accompaniment of background party music, and Carter’s flashy and exhilarating interpretations remind us that he is our most exciting and unlimited musician.

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