Amazon.com: Violinist Regina Carter recorded I'll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey following her mother's death. A tribute to her mom, it features period songs she was fond of. But far from wallowing in sentimentality, it's a spirited work of reflection featuring vocals by the irrepressible Dee Dee Bridgwater on two songs, including a freewheeling "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen," and the charismatic Carla Cook on three tunes, including a darkly glowing "St. Louis Blues." Teaming to warmly atmospheric effect part of the time with clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera and accordionist Gil Goldstein, Carter readily avoids easy nostalgia, whether basking in the childlike delights of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," "Little Brown Jug" and "Anitra's Dance" (the Peer Gynt classic, taken from the great '30s bandleader John Kirby's arrangement), or the more sophisticated of emotion of Duke Ellington's "Blue Rose" and "I'll Be Seeing You." Produced by John Clayton, the album doesn't rise to the heights of Freefall, Carter's 2001 duo recording with pianist Kenny Barron, but its easygoing qualities win out over the slick high conceptualism of some of her other efforts. --Lloyd Sachs
Disc 1:
Anitra's Dance - Regina Carter, Grieg, Edward
Little Brown Jug - Regina Carter, Winner, J.E.
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön - Regina Carter, Secunda, Sholom
Sentimental Journey - Regina Carter, Brown, Les
You Took Advantage of Me - Regina Carter, Rodgers, Richard
St. Louis Blues - Regina Carter, Handy, W.C.
A-Tisket, A-Tasket - Regina Carter, Feldman, Al
Blue Rose - Regina Carter, Ellington, Duke
This Can't Be Love - Regina Carter, Rodgers, Richard
How Ruth Felt - Regina Carter, Carter, Regina
There's a Small Hotel - Regina Carter, Rodgers, Richard
exuberant, upbeat, joyous, hard to fault, in fact faultless, the musical selections: st louis blues by w c handy, elllington's blue rose, ella fitzgerald's a-tisket, a-tasket, the rodgers and hart numbers, sentimental journey; or regina carter's quartet swelled on some of the numbers by paquito d'rivera on clarinet and gil goldstein on accordion, instrumentalist choices you would expect from dave douglas or regina carter's cousin, james carter, which work well for regina carter on this recording. five of the twelve pieces have lyrics sung by either dee dee bridgewater or carla cook. a great feeling, listening to this cd.
AWESOME OFFERING I must have been listening to different recordings gauging from some of the less-than-stellar reviews on various recordings from Ms. Carter. I saw she was coming to town so checked out this album. Although a tribute to her late mother, there is nothing lachrymose about this album. For the last 2 weeks, it has been following me from car to work to house. Her rendition of Anitra's Dance (Peer Gynt by Grieg) is simply astounding. Many reviewers on other albums say Carter isn't NEARLY as good on her recordings. Having just sat (well, barely--it was so swingin') through her concert last night, I can only say it was an astounding night. Her CD was EVERY bit as enthralling as the live show, in the way that most recordings are. There are loads of artists who are never as good live as in their recorded work, so I s'pose I'd rather have this--a little less 'bright' than live, but great nonetheless. One of the things you see in concert that you might not be aware of on the recordings is how skillfully and beautifully the clarinet and accordion (yes, I know!) blend with her inimitable tone on the strings. THAT is a tribute to all three virtuosos.
She played much from this album, some from the Paganini recording, and some pieces I was not familiar with, all with deft ease and deceptively playful flair. This is joyful music, played with influences from Stephane Grapelli, Ellington and the like. This is traditional with a twist. No histrionics, no self-aggrandizing baloney. This is a gem and sure to be one of your favorites. If you love the echoes of those masters who've gone before, re-interpreted at a new level, get this album. You know how people say, when someone really special dies, "Celebrate their life, not their death!" Well, folks, this then is such a celebration. And if you're feeling a bit low, and hear the final cut of "I'll Be Seeing You" and shed a tear or two, it won't be from sadness. Rather, a reflection on loving, losing and carrying on, all guided by Regina Carter's exceptional playing and singing. Kudos to you, Ms. Carter, and when is your next CD coming out?
What you get is what you see As the title of the album and the somewhat, well, kitschy cover indicate, this CD is indeed a sort of sentimental journey through the musical past... From my point of view, it is only a pitty the affair is not a little less sentimental and a little more swinging.
Regina Carter has a beautiful tone, but I feel she is not really a swinger (I guess more modern forms of jazz are more her domain). The accordeonist Goldstein also weighs things down a bit, but this still doesn't mean you shouldn't buy this CD, particularly if you're not a die-hard fan of really swinging violinists (ellegant Stephane Grappelli, rugged Ray Nance, joyous Svend Assmusen and others).
And, to ensure at least 4 stars for this album, there is the versatile Cuban Paquito D'Rivera, who at times really shows adequate swinging passion on his clarinet and finally, but by no means unsignificantly, there are two tracks with Dee Dee Bridgewater who can really cook a swinging storm with her voice and push the other musicians to their limits and beyond ...
All in all, not a bad CD, falling somewhere between nostalgia and swing.
Incredible! Incredible! Incredible! Regina Carter is perhaps the most amazing jazz violinist of this period.I have all of her recordings and this is one of my favorites. I just can't get tired of it.
An Awesome Journey My husband and I love it. Ms. Carter plays with such emotion. She is truly an artist who can interpret a piece of music and make it her own. We are so glad that she went back into the studio to record after the recent death of her Mom. This recording rates right up there with Rhythms of the Heart and Paganini: After a Dream.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
