Gardenias for Lady Day

Gardenias for Lady Day is the eighth album by saxophonist James Carter featuring tracks associated with Billie Holiday which was released on the Columbia label in 2003.[1]

Gardenias for Lady Day
Studio album by
James Carter
Released2003
Recorded2003
Avatar Studios, New York City
GenreJazz
Length46:09
LabelColumbia
CH 89032
ProducerYves Beauvais
James Carter chronology
Layin' in the Cut
(2000)		 Gardenias for Lady Day
(2003)		 Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge
(2000)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
The Village VoiceB–[3]

The Allmusic review by Matt Collar says, "This is a beautiful album that revels as much in classic melody as it does in Carter's most torrid saxophone "skronk." ... Continuing to display a unique and singular vision, Carter has crafted a fittingly urbane, elegant, and unnerving album that celebrates both Holiday's haunting spirituality and earthy sexuality".[2] In JazzTimes Nate Chinen wrote, "Painstakingly but not excessively produced, it has enormous commercial potential-yet never panders or beseeches. The disc satisfies Carter's aptitude for repertory, his gift for personal interpretation, his saxophone obsession, his historical ken and even his devotion to the art of surprise. In doing so, it presents a musical vision of laserlike focus, suggesting a new threshold of maturity for Carter, whose talents and insights have always been well ahead of his years".[4] On All About Jazz Jim Santella noted, "Carter's tribute to the memory of Billie Holiday weaves lyrical melodies around his own trademark enthusiasm. His desire to build upon what our jazz ancestors laid down for us has matured. Instead of far-out creations that few could understand and that many would bicker with, the 34-year-old saxophone sensation serves up an accessible program that reaches, nevertheless, into the 21st century. Stereo saxophones and deep-throated clarinets surround themes that recall the uniqueness of Lady Day. Her deep, inner strengths, her don’t-quit attitude, and her remarkable perseverance all show up in the musical arrangements that James Carter has adopted for his debut on Columbia".[5]

Tom Hull was less receptive in his July 2004 "Jazz Consumer Guide" for The Village Voice. Naming the album "Dud of the Month", he suggested that Columbia executives had steered Carter toward recording a "mess" and wrote in conclusion: "Eight songs, only half even vaguely associated with Holiday; strings that would gag Charlie Parker; excited vocals by an Ella wannabe. Only when the quartet plays unencumbered do you get an idea of how much talent is wasted here."[3]

Track listing
  1. "Gloria" (Don Byas) - 6:01
  2. "Sunset" (Buster Harding, Cab Calloway) - 5:24
  3. "(I Wonder) Where Our Love Has Gone" (Buddy Johnson) - 6:22
  4. "I'm in a Low Down Groove" (Roy Jacobs) - 4:39
  5. "Strange Fruit" (Lewis Allan) - 4:20
  6. "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" (Billy Strayhorn) - 5:54
  7. "Indian Summer" (Victor Herbert, Al Dubin) - 6:52
  8. "More Than You Know" (Vincent Youmans, Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose) - 6:37
  9. "Lil' Hat's Odyssey" (James Carter) - 5:55 Bonus track on CD
  10. "You're a Lucky Guy" (Saul Chaplin, Sammy Cahn) - 7:59 Bonus track on CD

Personnel
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References
  1. James Carter discography, accessed October 15, 2016
  2. Collar, Matt. Gardenias for Lady Day – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  3. Hull, Tom (July 1, 2004). "Jazz Consumer Guide (1): All True, More or Less". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 22, 2020 – via tomhull.com.
  4. Chinen, N., James Carter: Big Hat's Odyssey, JazzTimes, December 2003 - accessed October 15, 2016
  5. Santella, J., All About Jazz Review, accessed October 15, 2016
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