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DANIEL CARTER/RUEBEN RADDING
Luminescence (Aum Fidelity)
Reviewed by Chris Forbes
Among free jazz musicians in the New York area there is one figure that seems to command universal respect, almost bordering on awe, and that is Daniel Carter. Since the early 70s, Carter has been a fixture of the downtown New York scene, first making his name in the lofts of Soho and Tribeca, then collaborating with almost any musician you can name, from the giants of the first generation of avant gardists, to the hardcore punks like Yo La Tengo. And now, at 57, he is manically active, working with the established and the unknown and mesmerizing a new generation of musicians with his playing and with his legendary monologues at CBGBs.
This recording, made with bass master Rueben Radding, shows why Daniel Carter's mystique is so great. I'm not sure that I can name any CD of the past 10 years in which the spirituality of the playing is as deep and the sound is as luminous. This CD's genesis is in a small grant that Radding received when he was living in Seattle. The grant allowed Radding to bring Carter out for a series of concerts and recordings, which also include a marvelous trio album, Language, with Radding and Seattle drummer Gregg Keplinger. Unfortunately, airline restrictions after 9/11 were such that Daniel could only bring one instrument, instead of his usual bevy of winds. Choosing just the alto, though, I think is part of the magic of this CD. This is the sweetest I've ever heard Carter, and perhaps the most spiritual work of his career...that's saying a lot.
The album is completely improvised, with some studio and some live cuts. Radding's bass is gorgeous. He produces a thick, dark sound with a rich body and fullness, and his bow work is terrific. Over top, Carter is deeply soulful. This is avant-garde for those who are afraid of skronk. Though Carter does experiment with sound in the avant-garde tradition, he is lyrical and gentle with it. There is a haunting quality in the tone that is unusual in the New York avant-garde. At times, you almost think that you are listening to Paul Desmond or early Jimmy Guiffre. However, Carter's music has more spiritual power than either of those altoists, and a sadder edge.
In the liner notes by Radding, he quotes his wife as saying, "(Daniel) makes you want to be a better person." I couldn't put it better myself. There is something in the playing that speaks directly to the heart...that induces what a medieval mystic might call compunction or metanoia. Many times listening to this album I feel an almost physical longing in my heart, something that only usually happens to me in rare moments during meditation. This is music from somewhere else, not from the confines of this sphere. I know that every time I hear Daniel live, and every time I put on this recording, it does something to me...speaking to me about the beauty that is in this world and could be the whole of this world...but isn't. What a rare and blessed gift from a musician.
This album is beyond praise. It is the best jazz album I've heard this year...or this century for that matter.
© 2004 - Chris Forbes