All Blues

In many ways CTI has never seen better days — despite being pretty much defunct. It was a record label championing jazz that was both modern and accessible, creating a wealth of classic recordings. Its original heyday ran from approximately 1967 to 1977, while in later decades its wonderful recordings and glorious cover art were reduced to the ignominious scale of CD. But in recent time things have been looking up for CTI. Its finest recordings are being reborn on high quality vinyl, with regular releases from at least three audiophile labels.

This is heartening news because, in addition to featuring the top musicians of the day, the CTI sessions were beautifully recorded. Invariably engineered by the great Rudy Van Gelder, they just sound terrific. And, crucially, the master tapes survive in excellent condition, making them a prime resource for anyone who knows how to manufacture a nice slab of vinyl — and the people at Pure Pleasure certainly know how to do that, as this lovely new release by bassist Ron Carter demonstrates.

Carter made his name in the 1960s playing with the second great Miles Davis Quintet and on important sessions for Blue Note records (taken together, this represents just about the greatest CV any jazz man could have). In the seventies he became one of the mainstays for CTI and recorded a series of albums as leader there. This is the second of those, recorded in 1973 with a superlative, tight little quartet consisting of Joe Henderson tenor sax, Roland Hanna piano and Billy Cobham drums.

Most of the tracks are Carter originals. The opener, A Feeling, has a modernist jollity and jerky congeniality that suggests Monk — although perhaps more in Henderson’s tenor and Carter’s bass than Hanna’s clean, concise playing. Light Blue puts a spotlight on Roland Hanna. His poised, considered, melodious piano almost suggest a classical piece — it’s Ron Carter’s darkly bubbling bass which makes it jazz.

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