詹姆斯 卡特(James Carter)。 1969年生于美国汽车工业城底特律的他,于90年代窜起迄今,就不断以惊人的能量出产了一张又一张让乐迷及乐评人感到惊奇的个人专辑,每张都以优异的能力大量重新诠释爵士经典曲,并证明了他那像数据库一样的即兴能力与海底火山一样的爆发力。一般人会说主流爵士音乐家似乎都比较保守,过于着重音符而少音色实验,而前卫爵士音乐家则太过强调气氛及情绪,常玩到天边去而收不回来,但是詹姆士卡特就是一位仿佛得到各门各派武林秘笈的少主,集合各家之长,再自行翻新招式来打遍无敌手。当然他的同辈诸如Joshua Redman及Ravi Coltrane亦有类似之特质,但感觉上三人所走的方向都不同,前两者还是比较严谨些,詹姆士则像是老是管不住的天才调皮小子。 谈到詹姆士卡特(James Carter)这个三十出头的青年人,他有两个缺点,首先是他不怎么勤快,九三年开始崭露头角以来,七年之间,只出了五张个人专辑。其次,他挺不务正业的,...... James Carter 生于一九六九年美国底特律 谈到詹姆士卡特(James Carter)这个三十出头的青年人,他有两个缺点,首先是他不怎么勤快,九三年开始崭露头角以来,七年之间,只出了五张个人专辑。其次,他挺不务正业的,一会儿出现在爵士乐手如迪迪杰克森(DD Jackson)、贺比汉考克(Herbie Hancock)等人的作品中助阵,却也到处乱跑,菲尔柯林斯(Phil Collins)的大乐团、流行歌手酷力欧(Coolio)的专辑里,也都有他的踪影,吹萨克斯风、当制作人,玩得不亦乐乎。 不过,任谁也得承认,卡特确实是最近几年来最威猛有料的爵士乐萨克斯风手。 尽管九零年代以来,技巧优异的乐手比比皆是,但是卡特在技巧之外,有一种放肆到近乎胆大妄为的自信,这一点,清楚地表现在《侏罗纪经典Jurassic Classic》专辑中,唱片里的第一曲〈Take The A Train〉,从一开始,萨克斯风嚎叫似地模拟火车汽笛的声音,展开一长段快速的演奏,尽管是以高速飙奏,卡特却能够在速度、音色、旋律与节奏各方面都有突出成就,展现了无与伦比的演奏能力。由比利史崔洪(Billy Strayhorn)所写的这首〈Take The A Train〉,是当年艾灵顿公爵乐团的超级经典,数十年来,有众多爵士乐手诠释过,卡特演奏起来却毫无惧色,随着主旋律开展出来的即兴,越吹越高,越吹越猛,再三转折之后,节奏组仍然维持着摇摆风格的韵味,卡特却已经狂放到底,像只喷火怪兽一般地嘶吼,当听众正担心他要怎么收尾,卡特反而若无其事地回到主题,漂亮地将即兴交给钢琴手克莱格泰朋(Craig Taborn)接续。 卡特和他的音乐伙伴如泰朋等人最了不起的成就,在于他们并没有完全脱离长期以来的爵士乐传统,却又能够发展出具有个人风格的新意,从艾灵顿公爵到塞隆尼斯孟克( Thelonious Monk)等等前辈的作品,都能够尊重前人创意,一方面呈现出乐曲原有的美感,在另一方面,还是能够表现出新一代爵士乐手在技巧、即兴概念各方面的进步与独到之处。卡特的优点,是他在音乐中呈现出猛烈骇人的力量,但是他就有办法把这一股强大的能量,规范在他设定好的架构之中,就「力道」与「控制」两个层面而论,卡特足以在当前爵士乐手中名列前茅。 说到这里为止,卡特活脱脱像只迅猛龙,珍贵罕有、强大而隐含危险,但是这位老兄可怕的地方还不只如此,他居然能快能慢,在同一张《侏罗纪经典》专辑中,演奏〈Ask Me Now〉这首情歌,柔情似水的音色,甜美的旋律,还颇令人产生几分棉花糖的联想。动如脱兔,静如处子,聆听卡特的演奏,实在是惊喜处处。 许多人好奇《侏罗纪经典Jurassic Classic》的标题到底是什么意思,我猜卡特只是贪图这两个字的缩写刚好是JC,跟他自己,也跟约翰柯川(John Coltrane)一样,想想爵士乐萨克斯风手的表现,在这两位JC之间有怎样的发展,也确实是件很好玩的事情。
by Thom Jurek
After Wynton Marsalis, no one caused more of an uproar than James Carter did when he appeared on the New York jazz scene from his native Detroit. Carters debut recording, JC on the Set, issued in Japan when he was only 23 and in the States a year later in 1993, was universally acclaimed as the finest debut by a saxophonist in decades. Critics lauded his ability to play in virtually any jazz style without appearing to ape anyone. Carter, who began playing at 11 and studied with trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, was a prodigy. He played and toured with Marsalis in 1986 at the age of 17 and became a member of Lester Bowies band upon relocating to New York in 1988. Carter issued no less than six recordings under his own name between 1993 and 2000, all of them with different focuses, from a set of standards, Conversin with the Elders in 1995, to an electric funk record, Layin in the Cut, to a simultaneously released set in tribute to Django Reinhardt, Chasin the Gypsy. Three years later, he honored the legendary Billie Holiday with Gardenias for Lady Day. Jumping ship from Columbia to Warner Bros., Carters Live at Bakers Keyboard Lounge followed in spring 2004. Another live session, Out of Nowhere, was released in 2005 on the independent label Half Note. Carter has continued his whirlwind of activity, playing on session and in live settings with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Cyrus Chestnut, Rodney Whitaker, Frank Lowe, the late Julius Hemphill, pop-jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Tough Young Tenors, and the Charles Mingus Big Band.