Reedman James Carter Interviewed at AAJ

Multi-instrumentalist James Carter has always had eclectic tastes. That was evident on his debut, JC on the Set (Columbia, 1994), where the squeaks and blips linked him to the avant camp of Eric Dolphy and the tenor swoons nestled him comfortably within the traditional velvet of Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster.

Subsequent releases found him venturing further along each of those paths individually, splitting the new and the traditional. Soon entire James Carter projects were devoted to exploring the work of a single artist.

Carter's Present Tense (Emarcy, 2008) shows him bringing it all back home. There's a Django Reinhardt cover ("Pour Que Ma Vie Memeure"), an ode to Dolphy ("Bro. Dolphy") and a tune purportedly delivered to Carter in a dream by Lady Day herself ("Sussa Nita"). The Motown jump of his early records also makes a strong comeback.

AAJ Contributor Matt Marshall spoke with Carter about his new disc and finding a singular voice on multiple instruments that still provided an opportunity for different aspects of his personality to shine through.

Check out James Carter: Something Old, Something New at AAJ today!