RON CARTER — Empire Jazz (review)

RON CARTER — Empire Jazz album cover Album · 1980 · Pop/Art Song/Folk Buy this album from MMA partners
2/5 ·
snobb
It's difficult to imagine what inspired Ron Carter to use John Williams' Star Wars compositions as material for his album. Possibly, combination of well-known tunes with some great jazz/fusion names on recordings sounded as commercially attractive project,who knows.

The result isn't as good as it was possibly expected.Musical material is really more pop-related,even if some moments of jazzy versions could be accepted as slightly interesting. Musicians collaborated are mostly great (including Billy Cobham on drums,Bob James on piano and Crusaders flautist Hubert Laws, who really is star of this recording), but the music played is only very average at its best.

Carter's bass line isn't impressive,but at least are competent (nothing sounds different from his other works of that time though). Cobham's drumming is light and enough jazzy, but again as almost every of participated musicians he sounds there more as studio session musician,paid by hours. In fact, all album's problem is team of really good musicians recorded uninspired market-oriented project and every listener can easily hear it.

Album for Star Wars' fans and Carter's collectors mostly.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Love Songs Live Avant-Garde Jazz
JOHN ZORN
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Data Avant-Garde Jazz
MATTHEW SHIPP
Buy this album from MMA partners
Peace Post Bop
SADAO WATANABE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hummingbird and Four Flowers : Turntable and Harmonium Solo Live Jazz Related Improv/Composition
OTOMO YOSHIHIDE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

??·??·?·???·?·????
SADAO WATANABE
snobb· 3 hours ago
Mature Hybird Talking
FRANK GRATKOWSKI
js· 2 days ago
Perspective (Peace & Love)
ISAIAH COLLIER
js· 2 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us