Ron Carter - Eight Plus

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Music reviews of Eight Plus

Music Review: Somewhat of a letdown
Rating: 3 Stars

Things open strongly enough with "Eight," an uptempo boppish number, one of two quite attractive Carter compositions, the other being "El Rompe Cabeza." The contrast between Carter's lead piccolo bass and the four cellos, providing imaginative fills and comping, is quite attractive. And Stephen Scott's piano solo zings along in a spritely manner. With a distinct Villa-Lobos vibe, "Eight" is probably the strongest cut on the disc. Carter's pizzicato double stopping makes a nice bridge. "El Rompe Cabeza," a faux classical number with a tango-like feel, also shines. Part of it is that the other players have a more prominent role: Steve Kroon's attractive percussion, esp., comes to the fore here. And Carter generally employs arco playing, which seems more suited to his instrument.

I wish I could be as enthusiastic about the other numbers, but they just seem to lack the impact of "Eight" and "El Rompe Cabeza." For one thing, not all styles are equally suited to this approach: lead piccolo bass just doesn't seem to have the necessary gravitas for the blues ("Blues for Bradley"). Also, by the third or fourth number the sonority of Carter's instrument begins to irritate. A prettified and bathetic "Song for You," the Leon Russell classic, is the low point. Trying to inject some kind--any kind--of interest, Carter plays an embarrassing ersatz solo, dripping with bent strings and fake emotion.

Another irritating thing about this disc is that, although it is a reissue, there is no indication of this on the outer packaging: For all intents and purposes, it appears to have been recorded and produced in 2003, the copyright and production symbols both bearing that date. It is only on the inside credits that one notes it was actually recorded in 1990. One supposes that since this is the first American release, Dreyfus can get away with this misleading recording information.

All in all, a disappointment, despite a couple of attractive numbers. 3 and 1/2 stars.

Description of Eight Plus

On Eight, the composer makes the cello quartet an equal partner in the ensemble. O.K. is a portrait in controlled, but exuberant swing. Ron?s ?favorite Leon Russell composition? A Song For You takes on a haunting new dimension with the delicately slashing lines of the cellos. "To those fans who enjoy a bit of Oscar Pettiford swing...take this First Trip" says Carter about this composition, written in the solo style of the immortal bassist.

A provocative endeavor like this must be conceived fully to avoid chaos, but even more importantly to face the challenge of maintaining the freedom and spontaneity that is at the core of all great music in the jazz tradition. Ron Carter has met this challenge on all fronts and in doing so has created a magnificent piece of art.

Ron Carter - piccolo bass Stephen Scott ? piano Leon Maleson - bass Lewis Nash ? drums Steve Kroon - percussion Kermit Moore - cello Chase Morrison ? cello Carol Buck - cello Rachel Steuermann - cello

Jazz CDs

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