Bill Carrothers - The Electric Bill (2002)

A Superb Disc
Here is an absolutely superb record from Bill Carrothers. Beautiful compositions and a great group sound. For me, one of his best records, which offers a completely different universe than in his acoustic piano records. Moreover, the sound is particularly successful, which does not spoil anything. With Duets with Bill Stewart, and Ghost Ship, my three favorites, in a very clear color. A pianist to know absolutely, much less publicized than Brad Meldhau, or Chick Corea, but who in my opinion achieves the tour de force of offering a different game and a personality as interesting as the two other pianists I mentioned (which do not however demerit). ~ Sébastien Lalisse, Amazon.com. [Translated from French] 

Dreyfus Jazz, FDM 36631-2, 2002
Birdology Records, FDM 36631-2, 2002
Recorded 25th-26th March, 2001 at Creation Audio, Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Musicians:
Bill Carrothers - Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes]
Michael Lewis - Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Reid Anderson - Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass
Dave King - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong {Bill Carrothers} (5:14)
2. Rebellion {Bill Carrothers} (6:59)
3. Voice Of The People {Bill Carrothers} (7:47)
4. Evolution {Bill Carrothers} (7:55)
5. The Castaways {Bill Carrothers} (6:19)
6. Aftermath {Bill Carrothers} (9:04)
7. A Kindred Spirit {Bill Carrothers} (5:43)
8. Mojo Clinton {Bill Carrothers} (6:54)
9. Sing {Joe Raposo} (2:36) 

Total Time: 58:31 

Credits:
Producer, Graphic Design, Layout - Bill Carrothers
Executive-Producer - Jean Francois Dieber
Engineer - Steve Wiese
Front Cover Portraits - Doug Talalla
Photograph - Peg Carrothers

Bill Carrothers Trio - A Night At The Village Vanguard [2CD] (2011)

The sonic character of New York City's Village Vanguard is one of sound as memory. There is a pillow of pungent warmth and familiarity surrounding the sounds captured that can be heard on this album. That famous sound is captured in all its smoky warmth on the Bill Carrothers Trio A Night At The Village Vanguard. Carrothers, along with close friend/pianist Marc Copland, has been instrumental extending the piano language created by Evans, transforming it from impressionistic to expressionistic, while retaining an introspective nature. Carrothers relies on Joyspring (2010), his recent tribute to the music of Clifford Brown, for a good part of the recital, kicking things off with the trumpeter's up-tempo "Tiny Capers," where the pianist extracts the bebop from Brown's hard bop. That is followed by a lengthy medley of Brown's "Joy Spring" coupled with Victor Young's "Delilah." Carrothers also draws on the compositions by Brown's pianist, Richie Powell, for "Gertrude's Bounce" and "Time," giving a full accounting of Brown's famous quintet with drummer Max Roach from the early and mid-'50s. Amid all of this hard bop, Carrothers throws in his sideways blues, "Home Row," from Home Row (2010), mixing in a bit of modernity as the pianist slowly incorporates the young and old into something new and vital. He does the same with his inventive and exciting "I Got Rhythm" montage, Discombopulated." This adds a level of performance tension that reveals Carrothers as a capable bandleader directing a performance for maximum listening pleasure. In the end, it is the exquisitely unique sonics of the room that crown this very fine performance. There is a nostalgic, analog warmth in these pieces that recall Evans' famous recordings 50 years ago, while at the same time showing how far piano trio practice has come since that time. Carrothers turns in a definitive trio set at the definitive jazz club. ~ Extract by C Michael Bailey, AAJ. 

Pirouet Records, PIT3056, 2011
Recorded 18th July, 2009 Live at The Village Vanguard, New York City 

Musicians:
Bill Carrothers - Piano
Nicolas Thys - Bass
Dré Pallemaerts - Drums 

Tracklist: 

CD1:
01. Tiny Capers {Clifford Brown} (5:33)
02. Joy Spring {Clifford Brown} / Delilah {Victor Young} (9:01)
03. Gerkin For Perkin {Clifford Brown} (7:03)
04. Gertrude's Bounce {Richie Powell} (6:36)
05. Jordu {Duke Jordan} (7:08)
06. This Is Worth Fighting For {Jimmy Dorsey} (7:09)
07. Home Row {Bill Carrothers} (6:48)
08. News From Home {Bill Carrothers} (4:10)
09. Let's Get Lost {Jimmy McHugh, Frank Loesser} (9:33)
10. Those Were The Days {Gene Raskin, Boris Fomin} (6:12) 

Time: 69:15 

CD2:
1. Junior's Arrival {Clifford Brown} (8:40)
2. Time {Richie Powell} (7:55)
3. Jordan Is A Hard Road To Travel {Traditional} (10:31)
4. Peg {Bill Carrothers} (8:48)
5. Blue Evening {Gordon Jenkins, Joe Bishop} (6:25)
6. Discombopulated {Bill Carrothers} (7:42)
7. Snowbound {Bill Carrothers} (8:37)
8. Days Of Wine And Roses {Henry Mancini} (7:16)
9. Our House {Bill Carrothers} (4:04) 

Time: 70:04 

Total Time: 02:19:19 

Credits:
Producer, Mixing, Photography - Jason Seizer
Recording Engineer - Jon Rosenberg
Mastering Engineer - Christoph Stickel
Cover Design - Konstantin Kern

Bill Carrothers - Duets with Bill Stewart (1999)

Recorded in 1999 and released on the Birdology label, this duo session brings together two veterans who share a desire to create unique music every time out. Here, Bill Carrothers is 37 and Bill Stewart is 35. They're at a point in their careers where creativity and tradition have been united by a desire to move the music forward. Hence, familiar melodies and consonant harmonies are woven into impressions of the world around us. Dreamy afternoons coexist with spurts of charged lightning. Civil War memories sit side by side with some of Monk's best. Both artists explore a large array of textures and timbres. The pianist's hands control string vibrations, as the drummer's hands dampen his set. A standard, swinging arrangement of “Taking a Chance on Love” soon develops into conversant fours that move further and further toward the edge. With a return to the song’s head melody, the duo proves that modern jazz needn't go past that point. No screaming or squawking here: just sincere creations that invoke a sense of adventure. “Puttin' on the Ritz” swings with a driving intensity that brings both artists’ around full force. No coffee required. “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” settles down with subtle passion and subdued nighttime impressions. Their “Death of a Cigarette” rounds out the session with a heapin' helping of the blues. Two trailblazers in the jazz world, Bill Carrothers and Bill Stewart continue to shape today's worldwide approach to the music we love. ~ Jim Santella, AAJ. 

Birdology Records, 8573-80065-2; 1999
Recorded & Mixed 10th-11th June, 1999 at Creation Audio, Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Musicians:
Bill Carrothers - Piano
Bill Stewart - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Drum Prelude {Bill Stewart} (2:22)
02. Alone Together [For Peg] {Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz} (6:13)
03. Off Minor {Thelonious Monk} (5:58)
04. I Apologize {Al Goodhart} (3:15)
05. Squirrel's Tale {Bill Carrothers} (6:20)
06. Vito {Bill Carrothers} (5:27)
07. Vito's Dream World {Bill Carrothers} (3:00)
08. Taking A Chance On Love {Vernon Duke} (4:58)
09. Tenting On The Old Campground {Public Domain} (5:08)
10. Puttin' On The Ritz {Irving Berlin} (7:00)
11. Death Of A Cigarette {Bill Carrothers} (6:21)
12. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square {Eric Maschwitz} (4:19)
13. The Whiffenpoof Song {Tod B. Galloway} (2:49) 

Total Time: 63:12 

Credits:
Producer - Bill Carrothers
Executive-Producer - Jean-François Deiber
Recording & Mixing - Steve Wiese
Mastering - Lynn Peterson
Photography - Peg Wigen
Liner Notes [English] - Thierry Pérémarti

Bill Carrothers - Keep Your Sunny Side Up (2007)

Bill Carrothers is one funny guy. One look at his website is enough to establish that, but for further proof one need only look as far as Keep Your Sunny Side Up. That's not to say Carrothers can't be pensively lyrical or downright abstract. But on this follow-up to I Love Paris (Pirouet, 2005), Carrothers demonstrates a near mischievous playfulness as he deconstructs a number of well- and lesser-known standards. The first of two versions of the title track opens with bassist Ben Street quoting Thelonious Monk. It’s an appropriate start, as Carrothers turns the familiar tune on its side with a slap-dash approach that’s referential in its idiosyncrasy but entirely personal in its application. Street and drummer Ari Hoenig are the perfect choices for this trio, making it clear that not only can they follow Carrothers' challenges, they can present some of their own as well. "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" gets an equally jocular reading. Carrothers delivers an historical cross-section of jazz piano, bringing together hints of ragtime and stride with a free style that becomes increasingly absurd as the tune unfolds (complete with wailing cat in the background). If Jaco Pastorius defined Punk Jazz, then Carrothers clearly has his own subgenre: Slapstick Jazz. Hoenig and Street are right with Carrothers throughout, from vaudeville to a fervent rock beat towards the end that ultimately concludes on a gentler note. Carrothers shifts the mood on an introspective look at Joni Mitchell’s "Roses Blue," with Hoenig's soft, train- like rhythm on brushes maintaining a consistent pulse throughout. "London by Night" is an elegant waltz, with Carrothers demonstrating his skill at building solos that never lose sight of a tune’s melodic center. Street’s solo is equally spare and respectful. "Salty Peanuts" is a subdued freely improvised duet between Carrothers and Hoenig: evidence that it's possible to pull constructs out of the ether and give them concrete shape. Carrothers' sole original composition, "Church of the Open Air," is an almost painfully beautiful tone poem that ebbs and flows with majestic grace. That most pieces are in the three- to- five-minute range speaks volumes for this trio’s economical approach. "You and the Night and the Music" is nearly unrecognizable, driven by Carrothers’ stop-start beginning and abstract ideas, and Hoenig’s military style snare work. Ending with a soft reprise of the title track, Keep Your Sunny Side Up is another strong and varied entry from Carrothers - an artist whose musical identity is clearly defined by his equally complex off-stage persona. ~ by John Kelman, AAJ. 

Pirouet Records, PIT3021, 2007
Recorded 27th-28th February, 2006 At Pirouet Tonstudio, Oberhaching, Germany 

Musicians:
Bill Carrothers - Piano
Ben Street - Bass
Ari Hoenig - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Keep Your Sunny Side Up {Lew Brown, Buddy De Sylva, Ray Henderson} (5:47)
02. I Can't Begin To Tell You {James V. Monaco} (7:48)
03. Roses Blue {Joni Mitchell} (6:41)
04. London By Night {Carroll Coates} (6:05)
05. My Dreams Are Getting Better As The Time {Vic Mizzy} (4:17)
06. Salty Peanuts {Ari Hoenig, Bill Carrothers} (3:40)
07. Evidence {Thelonious Monk} (4:42)
08. Church Of The Open Air {Bill Carrothers} (4:28)
09. The Night We Called It A Day {Matt Dennis} (6:38)
10. Say It Isn't So {Irving Berlin} (3:36)
11. You And The Night And The Music {Arthur Schwartz} (3:41)
12. Keep Your Sunny Side Up [Reprise] {Brown, De Sylva, Henderson} (2:51) 

Total Time: 60:14 

Credits:
Recording & Mixing - Jason Seizer
Mastering - Stephan V. Wylick
Design [Cover], Photography - Konstantin Kern 

Church Of The Open Air

Bill Stewart - Telepathy (1997)

Drummer Bill Stewart has made a name for himself with John Scofield’s band on several excellent recordings including What We Do and Hand Jive,. He has also made great contributions to sessions with Joe Lovano, Marty Ehrlich and Maceo Parker. If it sounds to you like he has great range as a drummer, you’re right. Stewart combines the polyrhythmic inventiveness of modern drumming with the taste and groove of funk. He creates fire and drive without volume, always supporting and creating, but never overpowering.

Telepathy is his second date as a leader and it offers further evidence of his talents as both instrumentalist and composer. Stewart’s compositions range from aggressive to introspective and he has chosen a superb roster of musicians to assist him in his musical expression. Saxophonists Steve Wilson (alto and soprano) and Seamus Blake (tenor) are also coming into their own as great improvisers and their ideas and interplay are constantly engaging. Pianist Bill Carrothers is less well-known but is featured prominently and his imaginative harmonic sense invites close listening and the hope that he will appear more often on disc. Larry Grenadier’s bass work is superb. On one of your listens to this disc, focus on his bassistic creations. Great stuff!

Of the nine tunes on this disc only two are from the jazz canon. Jackie McLean’s "Little Melonae" and Monk’s "Rhythm-A-Ning" are given fresh treatments with Blake blazing through the Monk accompanied only by Stewart and Carrothers, while only the rhythm section is spotlighted on McLean’s great tune. The remaining tunes were penned by the leader. Stewart’s compositions range from angular and aggressive to dark and moody. Try to keep from smiling as Blake squawks and struts on "Happy Chickens." Blake and Wilson get into a wildly raucous mood on "Fano," exchanging ideas and honks, followed by some intensely creative statements from Grenadier and Stewart. "Calm" is a beautiful ballad feature for Carrothers, with the leader painting soft colors with brushes. Stewart proves to be as imaginative in his writing as in his drumming.

This is a rewarding disc, straight from the jazz tradition but consistently original and forward-looking. Highly recommended. ~ by Rick Bruner, AAJ.

Blue Note, CDP 7243 8 53210 2 3, 1997

Recorded 29^th & 30^th September, 1996 At Clinton Recording Studios, New York City

Musicians:

Bill Stewart - Drums

Seamus Blake, Steve Wilson - Saxophone

Bill Carrothers - Piano

Larry Grenadier - Double Bass

Tracks:

1. These Are They {Bill Stewart} (8:44)

2. Mynah {Bill Stewart} (5:36)

3. Happy Chickens {Bill Stewart} (6:23)

4. Lyra {Bill Stewart} (7:37)

5. Rhythm-A-Ning {Thelonous Monk} (5:39)

6. Dwell On This {Bill Stewart} (6:51)

7. Calm {Bill Stewart} (6:49)

8. Fano {Bill Stewart} (6:31)

9. Little Melonae {Jackie McLean} (4:11)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Belden, Bill Stewart

Recording Engineer - David Baker

Mastering Engineer - Tom "Curly" Ruff (Sony Studios, NYC)

Photography - Jimmy Katz (Giant Steps)

Design - Patrick Roques

Total Time: 58:21