Sax ‘mutant’ pilots wild jazz-soul thrill ride

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/06/2002 (8793 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WHEW!

When saxophonist James Carter builds up a head of steam, he carries his audience on a wild ride that can leave them breathless.

But Thursday night, his Jazz Winnipeg Festival audience just held on and enjoyed the twists and turns as the 33-year-old musician ranged from jazz to soul-jazz to funk in a concert that ran more than two hours.

And while you can take the saxophonist out of Detroit, you can’t take the Motor City out of the man. Carter, based in New York City for the past 10 years, drew on Detroit musical mates Gerard Gibbs on Hammond B3 organ and Leonard King on drums for this staple of jazz and soul-jazz.

Carter played soprano and tenor saxophones and opened the show on soprano with one of his fast solos that make you wonder where he gets the stamina; his lungs must be the size of basketballs.

Gibbs, who fronts his own band in Detroit, is a master on the B3 and King is all over the drums at one point, then playing so softly you wonder how he can hit the drums with such a gentle touch.

Carter is comfortable in straight jazz and its many sidelines, but whatever he plays, the key is his command of his instrument. A local saxophonist in the audience called Carter “a mutant” for his abilities on his horns.

But the soul in the jazz wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. A few people left at intermission and at least one stalwart local jazz fan remarked he was used to hearing the tune Laura, which Carter ended the first set with, played a different way.

Granted, that number had its wild moments (there were spots when Carter could have been called the Jimi Hendrix of the sax), but if Carter put off a few mainstream jazz fans, he pleased the rest of the audience.

On Soul Street, he demonstrated what a BIG tenor sound he has — the kind of playing singer Kurt Elling loves so much and refers to a “tough tenor.”

There were 85 to 90 empty seats in the roughly 350-seat theatre, which seems absurd, in a way. A city this size should be able to fill a hall that size for someone like Carter.

*     *     *

Singer Carol Welsman held court at the Kairo the same night, delighting the club’s crowd with a beautiful voice, graceful piano playing and a collection of great songs, like a reconstructed Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.

She included the beautiful Antonio Carlos Jobim classic, The Girl from Ipanema, which she sang in Portuguese. The tune is immediately recognizable and infectious in any language and certainly when sung by Welsman, who also sang in French.

It was the first of two nights the singer played at the Kairo club and the audience late Thursday was in her thrall as the singer-pianist proved, yet a

*     *     *gain, why she is a double threat on the stage.

z z z

What would Canadian jazz be without bassist Dave Young? A lot less lively. The first-call bassist and former Winnipegger opened a three-night stand at Liberty Grill Thursday night with a quintet paying tribute to the great music of band leader, composer and bassist Charles Mingus.

Young will still be there tonight and if you want a hit of great tunes and great players, its an obvious place to be.

chris.smith@freepress.mb.ca