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Janine Gilbert-Carter - A Song For You (Jazz Karma)
Released: September, 2006

Ms. Gilbert-Carter has been hanging local awards on her DC-area wall for a few years now.

It's about time wider audiences begin hearing about her, too.

I'm not generally crazy about live recordings, because they generally aren't of high quality. And I think this one would have been better produced in a studio.

That said, Ms. Gilbert-Carter possesses a powerfully first-rate voice, and this is a nice collection of standards that showcases her voice well. The backing group - Chris Grasso on piano (nice solo on "What A Difference A Day Made"), Gavin Fallow on bass, Clyde Adams on percussion, Steve Abshire on guitar, and Paul Carr on sax - each take nice turns without overpowering Ms. Gilbert-Carter.

I particularly liked Mr. Abshire's solo on "When I Fall In Love." Good stuff.

Other favorites include "Candy," with a nice solo by Mr. Carr on Tenor Sax.  Ms. Gilbert-Carter is able to make the ballads touchable, and her gospel background lets her blow the windows out when it's called for.

Man, I really wish we could hear this same disc with studio acoustics, no audience, and mixed properly.

And good cover art!  Never, ever forget to spend a buck or two on good cover art!

iTunable - go listen. I think you'll like!

Highly recommended.

Three microphones (out of four)

- Doug Boynton
(06/17/07)

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