Search - François Houle & Dave Douglas :: In the Vernacular-Music of John Carter

François Houle & Dave Douglas
In the Vernacular-Music of John Carter
Genres: Jazz, Pop

Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
1. Morning Bell (Prelude)
2. Three Dances In Vernacular (First Recording): Old Blues
3. Three Dances In Vernacular (First Recording): A Free Step
4. Three Dances In Vernacular (First Recording): Night Dance
5. Seventy-Three
6. Sticks And Stones
7. Karen On Monday
8. Fields Medley: Juba's Run/Ballad To Po'Ben
9. Seventy-Two
10. Encounter

CD Details

All Artists: François Houle & Dave Douglas
Title: In the Vernacular-Music of John Carter
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Songlines
Original Release Date: 7/7/1998
Release Date: 7/7/1998
Album Type: Original recording reissued
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Styles: Avant Garde & Free Jazz, Easy Listening
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 774355152225

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Canadian clarinet and soprano saxophone virtuoso Francois Houle is expert at everything from the music of Iannis Xenakis to post-bebop jazz, always finding ways to weave musical worlds together. Here he takes on the astonishing, underappreciated music of composer and clarinetist John Carter, who merged a virtual tapestry of African American musical forms in his avant-garde jazz from the 1960s to his death in 1991. Houle captures Carter's deep-wood shades on the clarinet, also maximizing the buoyancy Carter created in all his groups. With New York-based trumpet maestro Dave Douglas and bassist Mark Dresser, Houle makes jumping, soulful avant-garde jazz, full of space for winding clarinet lines yet still crowded enough to quicken the ears. Houle's frequent collaborators, drummer Dylan van der Schyff and cellist Peggy Lee fascinate with their combination of arco cello and tumbling percussion. But all along, Houle does an incomparable job of pulling both Carter's compositional intellect and his own improvisational power to the forefront. This is a monumental release--a stunning celebration of one of jazz's undersung giants. --Andrew Bartlett

CD Reviews

Explorative homage to master musician

Ian Muldoon | Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia | 08/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John Carter, who wrote all but two of the tracks on this disc, may be the most influential "jazz" clarinet player of the past 50 years - as educator, composer, and master player of the clarinet, he was one of those who "liberated" the clarinet so that the player could call upon any sound produceable on the instrument and use that sound within the context of the music played to add to the effect or power of the music. Artie Shaw said once "Not many play the clarinet. It squeaks." Mr Shaw was a master of tone, no doubt about it, as well as being a compleat musician, who experimented as well, and it may be that Mr John Carter took up where Mr Shaw left off, notwithstanding masters such as Perry Robinson, Buddy De Franco or Tony Scott. On this CD five really fine musicians, nominally lead by Francois Houle on clarinet, with Dave Douglas trumpet, Peggy Lee cello, Mark Dresser, bass, and Dylan van der Schyff, drums. The music includes some compositions from Mr Carter's five part suite which I think is one of the premiere pieces of music to come from the USA "Roots and Floklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music". I expect Mr Carter would be pleased and honoured by the interpretations and performances of his work by the Mr Francois Houle 5."