Track Listing

1. Out Of Nowhere
2. Along Came Betty
3. Highjack
4. Song For Camille
5. Little Red Rooster
6. I Believe I Can Fly

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #152575 in Music
• Released on: 2005-06-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.com
"Out of Nowhere," the second straight live album by saxophonist James Carter's Organ Trio (the Hammond man is fellow Detroiter Gerald Gibbs), is rich in delights. It features his gorgeous throwback tenor sound on the title ballad, hooks him up in an earthy dual baritone sax feature with Hamiet Bluiett and cooks with gas on a Brazilian-tinged version of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly." But a 16-minute workout with the raw-boned avant-blues guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer on "Highjack" is a rather jarring departure and Carter's freewheeling take on the Benny Golson classic, "Along Came Betty," is undercut by the sweetening effects of his soprano. If you once anticipated the day when the prodigiously talented saxophonist would rein in his excesses--the showboating and mannerisms, the devouring of styles, the insistence on playing every saxophone ever invented--it is now clear he is never going to mature in that fashion. But, if you take the best of what he offers, which is considerable, you will definitely find a way to enjoy the whole package. --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews

hot and great
When I listened to this in the car after buying it, it sounded VERY exciting, and I was shouting "Yeah, James!" I especially liked the different styles played in the set.

But wow, my co-reviewers really don't like this recording much. I promise to listen a few more times and update this review in a year. Maybe next year I'll be tired of Mr. Carter's 'immaturity' instead of feeling happy and excited by what I'm hearing!

For now, I'd call this recording one of the best live jazz recordings ever!

this is JAZZ ladies and gentlemen
This is probably a four star CD, but I'm giving it five in order to compensate for all the critics of James Carter who don't seem to know what they are listening to.

This is JAZZ, which, my friends, is built on the tradition of individual virtuosity, spontaneity, free improvisation and group interplay ("blowin'," "chops," "blowin' sessions," "jam sessions," "saxophone duels," "trading fours," etc.) One-upmanship and proving your chops have always been essential aspects of jazz improvisation. Louis Armstrong, Dizzie Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, etc., etc., etc. were all show-offs and exhibitionists (and all the other names that are intended as insults to Carter).

Now everyone agrees that Carter is the most talented and virtuosic jazz performer alive today, but somehow this isn't good enough. It's not enough for him to be the Louis Armstrong of our generation, but he has to be the Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn as well.

The objection that Carter lacks a unified and coherent style or musical sensibility strikes me as both hollow (lack of unity and coherence IS his style) and, in a postmodern world, dated. And to those who cite a lack of feeling and emotion in his playing, I'm not sure what to say to such vague and subjective criticisms, other than that they might be confused by the wide range of feeling in his playing.

I know that as the popularity of jazz has plumetted it has had to borrow liberally from rock, soul, funk, hip-hop, pop, easy listening, etc. And nowadays "serious" jazz fans expect jazz to have lots of complex rhythmic and harmonic stuff going on that is borrowed from "art" music (i.e., contemporary manifestations of the European classical tradition). Sometimes this makes for good jazz; sometimes not.

But as for me, straight jazz is still good enough, and Carter's playing is plenty good enough. Not every song in this set is a gem, to be sure, but "Highjacked" alone is worth the price of the CD. Let's all relax and consider ourselves lucky to have such a prodigious talent around making music, instead of trying to pigeonhole him. I saw on reviewer even suggest that Carter take some time off for woodshedding, and limit himself to playing one horn - that would be a tragedy.

Carter crashes and burns in this one
When I saw that Carter released a new CD, I was quite excited and quickly snatched it up. Unfortuantely, Carter spends the entire album flaunting his skills by constantly screeching his horn, popping the reed, and all other assortments that, by themselves, give a solo an added touch, but when together as a complete solo, just make it disgusting.

Though I still really enjoy James Carter as a musician, I feel like he could have done much better. Carter really disapointed me here. Instead of spending the album showing off to his audience, he needed to just concentrate on making music.