Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ron Carter: When Skies Are Grey

225

Ron Carter: When Skies Are Grey

By

View read count
Ron Carter: When Skies Are Grey
Ron Carter's expansive interests long have included investigations into the nature of Latin music, and then the recording of his own interpretations of it. Fusing his legendary experience as a bassist extraordinaire with the rhythmic displacements and variety of Latin music, Carter's seeming ease and his statesman-like approach to the instrument have made the music accessible without sacrificing its complexity or inspirational value .

Carter's interest in Latin music regained recorded fulfillment recently with his CD of Brazilian music, Orfeu, which featured an eloquent Houston Person and a subdued Bill Frisell. Carter has enlarged his palette on When Skies Are Grey by encompassing Latin music from more countries, most especially Cuba. In addition, Carter has composed four of the seven tunes for this album, presenting his interpretation of the music as well as allowing himself to stretch out for graceful ever-present bass lines that animate the recordings as well as root them.

His regular group rejoining him for When Skies Are Grey, Carter's stylistic choices, arranged by Bob Freedman, remain quietly intense without ostentation or varieties in tempo. The group seemed to have chosen a tempo and a style for the album and stayed with them. Carter remains fixed as the creative center while Scott, Mason and Kroon maturely and subtly work as a unit for the adaptations of the tunes. Scott in particular seems to be restraining himself to remain consistent with the tone of the recording, softly filling in chords behind Carter or breaking out into unhurried solos. This style is quite a bit different from some of the work he has done with Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Sonny Rollins or Joe Henderson, thus showcasing his unselfish adaptability.

Carter is resilient as well, to say the least. Deciding not to break a studio date, When Skies Are Grey was recorded the day after Carter and his two sons attended their wife and mother's funeral. Thus, the figurative skies indeed were grey that day, and Carter's group offered heartfelt emotional support through the recording process.

Ever the consummate professional, Carter develops "Mi Tempo" with his universally admired artistry and maturity as Scott lays out for a final tune showcasing Carter's creativity and command of the bass. On Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant," Carter trades fours with Scott, even as he continues to anchor the quartet, never failing with his ever-present pulse. Sometimes a minimalist approach prevails, as it does on "Que Pasa," Scott developing a slow and subtle introduction that leads into a confident vamp over which deliberate single-noted soloing emerges.

When Skies Are Grey delivers yet another recording that highlights Carter's insights into Latin music. On another level it bespeaks the capacity of music for healing.

http://www.bluenote.com

Track Listing

Loose Change, Besame Mucho, Caminando, Que Pasa, Corcovado, Cubano Chant, Mi Tiempo.

Personnel

Ron Carter: bass; Stephen Scott: piano; Harvey Mason: drums; Steve Kroon: percussion.

Album information

Title: When Skies Are Grey | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Ron Carter Concerts

Dec 5 Fri
Dec 5 Fri
Dec 6 Sat
Dec 6 Sat

Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.