Daniel Carter/Gregg Keplinger/Reuben Radding: Not Out for Anywhere

Daniel Carter's collaboration with bassman Reuben Radding has evolved from an impressionistic alto sax and contrabass duo on Luminescence (AUM Fidelity, 2003) to an alto/bass/drum trio with the addition of Gregg Keplinger on Language (Origin, 2002) and now to the trio supplemented by Carter's full range of instrumentation and other musicians forming what they call the Large Group.

Divided into a two-disc set, Not Out for Anywhere offers a lot of music. Disc one presents the trio in characteristic improvisations featuring Carter's own profound explorations, Keplinger's active drumming, and Radding's enthralling arco and pizzicato work. Radding plays his bass deep, in a seemingly continuous low rumble that offsets Keplinger's cymbals. Radding sounds like a bowling alley heard from outside and Keplinger's drums crash like ricocheting pins. Whether using his fingers or a bow, Radding is the fulcrum for the trio, slowing down and speeding up as warranted, often right in the middle of a song. On "Still I he gets a marvelous woody sound as he bounces the strings lightly off the neck, perfectly complementing Carter's clarinet. In addition to clarinet, Carter chiefly plays alto, the middle-to-upper range of his tenor, flute on "Same Thing as That, and most impressively, introverted, disembodied trumpet on "Commercial Break and "And One Guy Yells Piano.

Disc two adds guitar, piano, three saxophones, and four percussionists to the core to form a twelve piece Large Group on two extended jams. "Psycho Scrim kicks off with a free jazz fanfare and gradually instruments peel away, leaving soloists and duos to carry the tune. Radding pulls out and puts away his bow and Carter swaps horns from his arsenal before the chorus of saxophones returns to lead the ensemble to its conclusion. The longer "No Name Ocean repeats the improvisational concept, but by the time Radding emerges to lay down a groove, the pianist comps and the bells get shaken, it sounds like a Pharoah Sanders project. Whatever the configuration, Carter, Keplinger, and Radding make formidable music.