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James Carter: Gardenias for Lady Day
It is difficult to gauge exactly how much of Holiday's essence is actually captured here. Focusing primarily on Carter's wide-ranging abilities, Gardenias For Lady Day celebrates a bygone era in jazz, grandiose in scale, capable of capturing any and every emotion. "Gloria," the Don Byas' tune, is given an elegant, evocative string arrangement, with Carter's fluid tenor work pacing a nostalgic dance. "I'm In a Low Down Groove" finds Carter playing baritone, tenor, and F mezzo saxophones with such distinction on each that the tune never becomes a tepid showcase for his talents. Instead, each horn provides a voice, its own wail, its own cry, and its own interpretation of the blues. On "Strange Fruit," the most daring and challenging piece on the album, the images are ghastly, as Miche Braden provides the vocals to a horrific chapter in American history.
Presented in a hybrid SACD format, the sound on Gardenias for Lady Day is exceptionally clear, allowing the listener to better appreciate Carter as he escorts a spiritual, graceful beauty that, on second thought, merges with Billie Holiday.
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Track Listing
1. Gloria (Byas) - 6:01 2. Sunset (Calloway/Harding/Ricks) - 5:24 3. (I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone (Johnson) - 6:22 4. I'm in a Low Down Groove (Jacobs) - 4:39 5. Strange Fruit (Allan) - 4:20 6. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing (Strayhorn) - 5:54 7. Indian Summer (Herbert V.) - 6:52 8. More Than You Know (Eliscu/Rose/Youmans) - 6:37
Personnel
James Carter
saxophone, tenorJames Carter - Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, Contrabass Clarinet, Soprano Sax; John Hicks - Piano; Victor Lewis - Drums; Myung Hi Kim - Violin; Jeanne LeBlanc - Cello; Sandra Park - Violin; Erik Ralske - French Horn; Bruce Wang - Cello; Peter Washington - Bass; Sarah Seiver - Cello; Ann Kim - Violin; Eileen Moon - Cello; Mina Smith - Cello; Sharon Yamada - Violin; Robert Rinehart - Viola; Phil Myers - French Horn; Elizabeth Dyson - Cello; Lisa Kim - Violin; Jeff Nelson - Bass Trombone; Sarah Kim - Violin; Tom Rosenthal - Viola.
Album information
Title: Gardenias for Lady Day | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Columbia Records
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About James Carter
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
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