Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » James Carter Organ Trio: At The Crossroads

James Carter Organ Trio: At The Crossroads

By Mark F. Turner
October 9, 2011
View read count

James Carter Organ Trio: At The Crossroads

No one brings more swagger and flavor with their playing than multi-reedman James Carter. A zealous nod to the blues, gospel, and jazz, he looks back to the music's rich history and presses onward in At the Crossroads with his organ trio including organist

Gerard Gibbs

organ, Hammond B3
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerard Gibbs and drummer Leonard King Jr., who have performed together for nearly ten years

Carter has been sometimes criticized as being too loud and showy but he's a unequivocal virtuoso, with encyclopedic releases that have spanned everything from a

Django Reinhardt

guitar
1910 - 1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Django Reinhardt tribute in Chasin' The Gypsy (Atlantic, 2000) to classical music excursions in Caribbean Rhapsody (Emarcy, 2011), with composer Roberto Sierra. But Carter's a post-bop bluesman at heart with the ability to take it to the streets while providing moments of unmistakable brilliance.

An unabashed showman, Carter puts down his unmistakable skronks, wails, and incendiary alto bursts in the thrilling "Lettuce Toss Yo' Salad" or lush soprano sonorities in the ballad "Misterio." While the command over his instruments is remarkable, his trio mates who are also Detroit natives, warrant equal respect. There are shades of

Richard "Groove" Holmes

organ, Hammond B3
1931 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Richard "Groove" Holmes and

Jimmy McGriff

organ, Hammond B3
1936 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy McGriff in Gibb's raspy organ that's got both sophistication and a little grease under the fingernails. And drummer Leonard King Jr.'s traps are on point at every twist and turning cadence, bringing the rhythmic pulse in addition to providing vocals and insightful liner notes.

At the Crossroads profits not only from the trio's bond but a fine roster of guests that includes veteran blues and Broadway singer Miche Braden and versatile guitarist

Brandon Ross

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Brandon Ross among others. It remembers its roots when Braden brings the gospel in "Tis The Old Ship of Zion" or highlighting

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington's majesty in "Come Sunday," sung by King. The house shakes, rattles, and rolls in "The Walking Blues" and staggers straight out of the juke joint in "Ramblin Blues," a seedy place that youngsters are told not to frequent. As the elders used to say, "This is grown folk's business." The music is likewise.

The set finishes with a hard groove, a remake of

World Saxophone Quartet

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">World Saxophone Quartet founder

Julius Hemphill

saxophone, alto
1938 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Julius Hemphill's "Hard Blues" that's even funkier than the original, with a nasty organ vamp, a grinding backbeat, and Carter and Ross trading heat like an imaginary meeting between Hemphill and

Jimi Hendrix

guitar, electric
1942 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimi Hendrix. At the Crossroads is a ten-year celebration of Carter's organ trio, where the elements of history, the present, and the future share a common bond.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Oh Gee; JC Off The Set; Aged Pain; The Walking Blues; My Whole Life Through; Walking The Dog; Lettuce Toss Yo Salad; Mysterio; Ramblin Blues; Come Sunday; Tis The Old Ship of Zion; The Hard Blues.

Personnel

James Carter

multi-instrumentalist

James Carter: saxophones; Leonard King Jr.: drums, vocals (10); Gerard Gibbs: organ; Miche Braden: vocals (4, 11); Brandon Ross: guitar (4, 12); Bruce Edwards: guitar (1, 3, 6) Keyon Harrold: trumpet (4, 10); Vincent Chandler: trombone (4, 10); Eli Fountain: tambourines(10).

Album information

Title: At The Crossroads | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: EmArcy

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Derek Bailey: Concert in Milwaukee a...
< Previous

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's Off To Jazz...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.