James Carter The Real Quiet Storm

"...QUIETSTORM is less boldly flamboyant [than JURASSIC CLASSICS], but more romantic..." - Rating: B
4 Stars - Excellent - "...he tugs and pulls at a composition like a lion eating its prey...his talent brims equally out of soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones..."
4.5 Stars - Very Good Plus - "...THE REAL QUIETSTORM emphasizes ballads, both familiar and obscure....ideally suited for the yearning, moonstruck tone Carter achieves on a remarkable range of woodwinds..."
"...One of the most striking elements of James Carter's playing is the sheer audacity with which he embraces his various horns and attacks the music with near uncommon vigor. Despite the relatively quiet program, that's still the case. And despite the ample balladry, this number is not without fireworks..."
"...dispels the notion that jazz has lost its sense of romance or lost its appeal to serious romantics....Carter's voyeuristic horn spews witty, vulnerable, and bitter commentary on the peccadilloes of those blessed and cursed to have found love..."
"...Though he has an encyclopedic jazz history under his fingers, what is most striking is his editing--he favors pre-bebop melodies over demonic arpeggiation, and his every phrase is marked by the patience and assurance associated with elder statesmen..."
Village Voice (2/20/96) - Ranked #29 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
Village Voice (1/16/96) - Ranked #5 in the Village Voice's Best Jazz Discs of '95 - "...His saxophone keeps saying, 'Make room,' and his ideas justify the conceit of his huge sound..."
Included on Neil Strauss' list of the Top 10 Albums of '95 - "...Mr. Carter subliminates his racuous energy into a very personal vision of romance on this album of jazz ballads..."