Kenny Carr, Departure Review
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Kenny Carr began his musical endeavor on violin at the young age of nine. He quickly discovered that his true love was with guitar in hand. Carr attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. In his final year he got the call to audition for Ray Charles. Carr toured worldwide with Charles for 10 years and played lead guitar for Charles’ recordings Just Between Us and Live at Montreux. Now releasing his 6th album Departure. Carr is joined by longtime childhood friend, saxophonist, Donny McCaslin. Also rounding out the ensemble is Kenny Wollesen on drums and percussion and Hans Glawischnig on bass. That’s the short of it!
Positives:
Carr has a brawny guitar sound, with punctuated rhythm that is felt deeply in the pocket. Joined by an equally apposite line-up, Departure is a stinging modern jazz sound.
Bottom Line:
Carr’s tunes have an angularity to them, they fit nicely in the modern jazz category with well-articulated soloing and melodies that build and land with mastery. One thing that always shines is when a guitarist has a strong grasp of jazz and blues, certainly Carr’s time with Charles taught him the necessity of melody and the strength of colorizations and how to tie them into something that the listener can enjoy. Carr’s originals are well-built, they make sense and offer a vehicle for each musician to drive their solos into. McCaslin is certainly inspired on Carr’s originals while Glawischnig and Wollesen offer a solid platform for McCaslin and Carr to expound upon. A stunning listen throughout.