Had Deborah J. Carter stayed in the USA, her country of birth, she would be a world star right now. She just would have to be. This singer is so frightingly good. Ten years ago she chose to settle in The Netherlands with her husband, producer en regular bassist Mark Zandveld. And we, as jazz lovers can count ourselves lucky to have such a top-talent 'around the corner'. Now you can experience Carter close-up and enjoy her measured, precisely executed, unrelentingly swinging music.
Who won't have the opportunity to attend a concert, will have to settle for one of Carter's five solo CD's. The most recent one is titled "Blue Notes & Red Shoes". Carter's metropolitan jazz this time leans strongly to the blues, and the red shoes symbolize her vitality and taste for adventure. Once again, Deborah, accompanied by her own combo and prominent guitarists like Jan Akkerman, Leonardo Amuedo and Maarten van der Grinten, completely customizes existing compositions to her style. Listen for example to "I'm Walking" by Fats Domino. I never heard such a swinging version of this song. And Carter wouldn't be Carter if she'd not take some risk. Monk's "Round Midnight" and Gillespie's "Groovin' High" (with a vocalese written by Carter) received an impressive overhaul. The original 5/4 jazzblues "The In-And-Outs" holds its own without a problem. The makers describe "Blue Notes & Red Shoes" as 'Saturday night jazz' - a perfect typecast. On that night out you have to be at your best, and that certainly is what Deborah and her guys are.

- Hans Invernizzi -

Liner notes

One of the most significant American-born jazz singers based in Europe (having lived 15 years in Spain and nearly that many in the Netherlands), Deborah Carter is a delight to hear. Not only does she have a very appealing voice and a thorough understanding of jazz, but her enthusiasm is infectious. A regular at jazz festivals, an important educator, and a frequent guest with big bands, she is most often heard with her regular trio which is featured (along with guests) throughout Blue Notes and Red Shoes.

"With my trio, I always feel like I can fall back on a soft quilt, one that will always catch me," says Deborah. "The music that we do I call 'Metropolitan Jazz.' It is music from a 21st century city where one can go to a Latin club on a Saturday night, cross the street to an r&b/jazz club, and then go a block over and experience some other kind of music."

Blue Notes and Red Shoes is a bluish set filled with bebop, ballads, original vocalese, jazz standards, and the debut of a few superior songs. Ms. Carter is teamed with pianist Coen Molenaar and drummer Enrique Firpi (both of whom have been in her group for ten years), her husband bassist Mark Zandveld (who has been in her trio for 15 years) and such guests as guitarists Leonardo Ameudo (who often works in Brazil with Ivan Lins) and Jan Akkerman, tenor-saxophonist Simon Rigter, and trumpeter Loet van der Lee.

The set begins with Bobby Timmons' "Moanin'," which has both straightahead and funky sections and includes some fine scatting by the singer. "My first experience with jazz was dancing to it as a little girl," remembers Deborah. "'Moanin'' is the type of music that I heard when my mother would get together with her friends." The bop classic "Groovin' High" benefits from her vocalese lyrics (paying tribute to Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker), concise solos, and catchy Latin rhythms.

Deborah was inspired to purchase a couple of CDs by singer-organist Charlie Wood after seeing him perform, resulting in her discovering his swinging strut "That Note Costs A Dollar." There have been a countless number of versions of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" through the years, but Deborah Carter's is different because she wrote a new verse, used a fresh arrangement, and added her own phrasing to the lyrics. "Most of the songs in my repertoire are at least slightly autobiographical. This is my most honest version of ''Round Midnight' for I have lived this story several times over."

A jubilant "Meet Me, Midnight" precedes the debut of the soulful "Too Darn Blue." Deborah discovered the latter song while perusing My Space, immediately writing to the composer Dave Gill. Perhaps My Space will become the Tin Pan Alley of the 21st century, a new way to discover tomorrow's standards.

Fran Landesman's "It Isn't So Good, It Couldn't Get Better" has not been recorded much since Irene Kral's version over 30 years ago but it fits today's economic crisis. "The In-And Outs," written by Deborah along with her husband and her pianist, discusses a philosophical way of dealing with life. The performers sound quite at ease not only essaying the tricky chord changes but improvising in 5/4 time. Deborah starts Horace Silver's "Senor Blues" with her own vocalese introduction called "Big Blue" which perfectly sets up the tune. "I'm Walking," long a part of her repertoire, really grooves at the slightly slower-than-usual tempo. Johnny Mercer's "One For My Baby" and Roy Meriwether's "This One's On Me" work together logically as a medley since they deal with similar circumstances. Closing off the colorful and memorable program is Mike Kennedy's "Can't Stop It," another song that Deborah discovered while surfing the Internet. The rhythmic piece, originally called "Sing It," has her lyrics and hot scatting to Kennedy's music.

Deborah Carter has accomplished a great deal during her career thus far, and she is very much in her prime these days. Blue Notes and Red Shoes serves as a perfect introduction to her joyful artistry.

- Scott Yanow, Author of ten jazz books including Trumpet Kings, Bebop, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76

Muziekweb

Carter is one of the most dynamic vocalists in de jazz scene and was given the predicate "absolute top class" by magazine Music Maker. That is not an exaggerated classification, because in her version of standards likes Moanin' and Señor Blues she demonstrates her ability to handle (hard)bop-themes like that with ease. Neither does she flinch at a vocalese-version of Charlie Parker's solo in Groovin' High.
(HB)

Yesjazz.nl

More than excellent performance with very good musicians and a perfect support of Deborah J. Carter by the JoyFelt Studio! As it seems that there are some well-known tracks on this recording, it is almost taking away your breath listening these tracks in a different way of arrangement ! Like “I’m walking, Moanin”, “Too Darn Blue” and the new track “The In-And-Outs” . These songs do recommend to purchase this CD! To mention the musicians is not necessary “for a good wine needs no recommendation”! Hopefully we can enjoy more of this in future ….,

- Joop van de Broek

Vocalist Deborah J. Carter grew up in both Hawaii and Japan, worked in theater in Spain, and is a frequent guest artist with European jazz ensembles like the Metropole Orchestra (from Holland) and Berlin Jazz Orchestra (Germany). So when her latest CD is described as part of the soundtrack to her well-traveled life in its liner notes, you know the songs have meaning and depth. Daytripper (Timeless) is an 11-song collection of Beatles pop classics, all with new jazz arrangements by Carter and Dutch pianist Coen Molenaar. The Berklee College of Music-trained singer makes the title track a medley by adding her own vocalese section, subtitled “Trippin’,” and turns the featured “Can’t Buy Me Love” into a sassy, de-accelerated strut.

I am in love! Rarely have I heard an artist for the first time who absolutley bowled me over the way Deborah J. Carter did. Every track on 'Daytripper' is an instant classic that I know I'll be enjoying years from now (as will my listeners). I wish I could fault SOMETHING...anything... but to tell you the truth, this is about as perfect a jazz performance as I've ever heard. You have made an instant fan and please... keep singing forever! All the best,

- Harold Ellison -

Deborah breathes soul into these Beatles songs. Carter sings in front of a piano/bass/drums trio that has just the right touch. "Fixing A Hole" and "Oh! Darling" took on a serious jazz bent that had us pressing rewind several times. Deborah can scat and she does very well on "Things We Said Today", our favorite of the lot.

- D. Oscar Groomes -

...the main reason for buying this disc isn't the track listing but the beautiful bright interpretations of the songs. With a gorgeous voice that is beyond dispute and the way she treats an up-tempo song like Day Tripper or a rocking Oh Darling by moulding them into her own soulful jazz or gospel style (With A Little Help From Her Friends) - it's simply a delightful treat for fans of cover versions and sheer pleasure for anyone's ears. And all embedded in exciting improvisations by her band, without losing sight of the original Beatles melodies - clearly made with respect and love for the compositions.

How extraordinary that songs you've known for years - when sung and accompanied in this way - can evoke a new, heartwarming atmosphere. It displays de mastery of both the composers and of Deborah Carter.

- Hans Dijkstal -

Her jazzversions of Lennon/McCartney-songs are solid. The accompaniment is tasteful, the timing excellent, her vocals stand at lonely heights and her scat vocals are frankly charming.

- Sjoerd van Aelst -

Listening the first time around, my impression was that this young woman has the talent to be able to sing everything from gospel music to modern jazz. In this case, she was not too intimidated by Lennon-McCartney to interpret 11 of their tunes. It was an adventure between jazz and rock; and in a remarkable fashion. But it should be noted that Deborah was not born yesterday and that her jazzistic talent is perfect, even in the scats. For this project she called on Coen Molenaar: p, keys, Mark Zandveld: b, Enrique Firpi: dr. and 3 guests. It's a very positive display of an interpretation of songs by this famous group. She possesses a total mastery and was well helped by her partners and especially the arranging work of Coen Molenaar. A perfect bringing together of pop and jazz.

For the full review click here. Excerpts:

I must admit that I had my reservations about a new Deborah J. Carter album of Beatles songs. So does Daytripper work? Yes, surprisingly well. Can’t Buy Me Love for example celebrates its resurrection as a soulful jazz song. What a great way to start this album. And I Love Her/Him is done as a moving ballad. Things get a little funkier and upbeat on Ticket To Ride with extra percussion by Daniel Patriasz.
The old chesnut Yesterday resurfaces as acoustic guitar driven midtempo song (thanks to Ed Verhoeff on guitar) with a slight Spanish touch. Did I ever say, I don’t like the songs Lennon & McCartney composed? Well, by all means I do like the way Deborah handles these songs. Daytripper for example brings us the best of soul and jazz with warm Fender Rhodes and a swinging Deborah. Oh! Darling gets revamped as releaxed late night bar jazz.
With A Little Help From My Friend is stripped down to the song’s core with just Coen Molanaar on piano and Deborah’s heartfelt vocal input.
To sum it up Daytripper is an impressive showcase for Deborah J. Carter and her band to show their ability to adopt even the most well-known composition to come up with something new you haven’t heard before.

- Dirk Binsau -

Deborah is one of the hardest swinging vocalists I have heard.....the CD is wonderful.

- Greg Carrol - former Director of Education IAJE, Director of Jazz Museum Kansas -

Deborah Carter writes a new page in the history of jazz vocals, by adapting both some of the most popular songs by the quartet from Liverpool, and others that are less well-known to the general public but therefore not less interesting......on of the best Beatles tributes ever recorded.

- David Alvarez - programmer -

The songs of Lennon and McCartney form an endless source of inspiration. With varying success many artists covered, interpreted, jazzified, classified and muzak-ed these well-known songs. To score with Beatles songs stays a risky business. The originals are engraved in everyone's memories. So one needs to have the guts and the qualities of a jazz-singer like Deborah J. Carter to superimpose funky grooving and lithesome swinging versions on the Beatles. Fixing a Hole, Oh Darling, Day Tripper, I Will, Here, There and Everywhere en Yesterday are reformed by Carter inventively and in her own style to new pieces. Pure jazz with scatting and extra attention for the lyrics. Most Beatles songs aren't about intriguing lyrics with deeper meanings. When Carter sings them, they come alive, and become intensely personal. They are here words.

- Hans Invernizzi -

Deborah I am in love. This is the first time I've heard your music and it is simply brilliant. To have your perfect versions of these compositions, with inimitable phrasing, excellent musicians, it is just too much. - Helen Jarroe -

The sheer enthusiasm of Deborah and her evocative interpretation of these tracks shines through. To me, the outstanding arrangement has to be: Yesterday. The Latin Jazz approach to this makes this the track! A great production

Tony Bates

Deborah J. Carter is the epitome of a world class jazz singer. Born in the U.S. with ties in Hawaii and Japan, her home now is in Europe. Her current concert schedule agenda is a global itinerary of performances from Cristofori, Amsterdam to Madrid Spain. Her new recording, Girl-Talking!, highlights one of her live performances at the Pannonica jazz club in Hague, Holland in 2003.

The concert features Carter with her working trio performing a variety of popular covers and jazz influenced songs. From her first note it's evident that Carter is a pro. With a polished and elegant voice and diva-like skills, Carter gives the audience an entertaining performance.

The first set begins with a version of the classic "My Favourite Things," which gives light to Carter's panache as she sings with playful exuberance while the band delivers equally engaging music. She's in total control when she scats, chats, and vocalizes on Horace Silver's "Sister Sadie." The modern classic "New York State of Mind" is refreshingly smooth as the trio swings along with Carter's lithe lyrics. Other gems include a moving version of John Lennon's timeless "Yesterday" where Carter soulfully expresses the haunting melody.

The second set begins with the colorful "Whistle Man" as Carter's range stretches boundaries with ease. The trio aptly accentuates the singer with solid playing that leaves ample room for discovery on each tune. On the blues-themed "Ten Minute Till the Savage Comes," pianist Coen Molenaar and bassist Mark Zandveld share impressive solos and drummer Enrique Firpi displays crisp rhythmic skills on the bonus track "Sabado (Barr Si Coma)."

With captivating vocals, good music, and the right atmosphere, Girl-Talking! is yet another entertaining glimpse of a jazz songstress who deserves a wider audience. It's easy to hear why Deborah Carter is popular with our fellow jazz fans across the ocean.

- Mark Turner -

'Girl Talking' is her third solo set following on from her highly aclaimed debut album 'Scuse Me' from 1998 and 'Round Midnight' which paid hommage to the moon and nocturnal life. She has worked with numberous Big Bands, hosted Master Classes at US embassies around the world and tours regularly with her own band and tribute ensembles.

This new live album was recorded in The Hague in Holland with Coen Molenaar on piano, Mark Zandveld on bass and production duties and Enqique Firpi on drums.

Working in a live environment with a tight touring band offers the artist the freedom of expression which is so essential for spontaneous jazz delivery and improvisation and that is a feature of Deborah's performances throughout this new album.

From the opening Rodgers and Hammerstein 'My Favourite Things' she sets the standard for what is to come to an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience. The opening verses break on this piece for a wonderful electric piano break by Coen Molenaar.

Deborah moves uptempo with Horace Silver's 'Sister Sadie' where she bops Janis Siegel style to the bridge on this fast moving 'Four Brothers' type gem.

She adds her own series of rhythmically succinct ideas on Billy Joel's 'New York State Of Mind' and on the classic Lennon and McCartney ballad, 'Yesterday' which she arranged for this take.

One of my favourite tracks from the Great American Song book is 'Girl Talk' which I first heard performed by Roy Phillips and The Peddlers back in the sixties from the Pickwick Club in London, Deborah offers a dazzling mid tempo version of this Neal Hefti and Bobby Troup standard. They don't write songs like this anymore.

Carmen Lundy's 'Perfect Stranger' wraps up the first set on this vibrant evening with the band moving in full swing to Deborah's inspired vocals and scatting. Molenaar's Bill Evans style piano solo rocks the house up to the third verse.

The killer cut for me on an album of many highlights is the cover of Donald Fagen's 'Between The Raindrops' taken from his 80's The Nightfly set which has all the subtle touches of the original but done 'JAZZ style' with Deborah powering out the lyrics and scat break. One not to miss.

Two self penned cuts 'Ten Minutes In Paris' and 'Sabado' complete an excellent live set which has the 'Girl Singing'.

Learn more about this superior album and Deborah's previous releases from her website at www.deborahcarter.com

- Wes Gillespie -

With 'My Favourite Things' she opens vocally powerful, and then continues swinging with Horace Silvers' 'Sister Sadie'. No fooling around with this woman, who stands her ground between three male accompanists!

The live-aspect has been respected. By keeping the applause, announcements and anecdotes between the songs the intimacy is enhanced. The set, in which Carter has room for a few more quiet bestsellers like 'New York State Of Mind' and 'Ahmads' Blues' (the latter embellished by flugelhorn player Michael Varekamp) between the -at times- adrenalized vocals, supplies compositions by big names: Billy Joel, Charlie Parker, Lionel Hampton. Carter gives her own twist to these standards, sounding beautiful for instance in her own arrangement of 'Yesterday'. Carter presents this song in a manner that makes you realize only after a while that the original comes from the Lennon/McCartney duo.

Deborah J. Carter belongs to the generation that cherishes the cultural heritage of the Afro-American tradition. On Girl-Talking Deborah Carter manifests herself live as a refined vocalist, who tastes her repertoire on the tip of her tongue and along with that she places the history of jazz in a nutshell. She proves that point with work by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Charlie Parker, Horace Silver and Lionel Hampton. But with her you also find connections to the present: she interprets Lennon & McCartney, Billie Joel and Donald Fagen in a discerning manner. She shows her broad artistic approach in two personal original lyrics. A cd with layers!

Fourteen very powerfully interpreted songs can be found in the new album 'Girl-Talking!' by the American singer Deborah Carter. Deborah sang as if this were to be her last album, because at times it seems as if she pulled out the notes from very deep.
On this record Coen Molenaar (p), Mark Zandveld (b) and Enrique Firpi (d) accompany her very professionally. The two sets that are put on this record give an excellent representation of Deborah's dynamic live performance. Upon finishing playing this album you almost have to catch your own breath as well, as the material presented here is truly overwhelming. It doesn't come as a surprise that by now she has become a welcome guest artist with several established jazz orchestra's.

- Rolf H. Polak -

With her most recent cd, the American (now based in Amsterdam) jazz singer Deborah J. Carter distances herself in full speed from her next to last album 'Round Moonlight'. The ballads for romantic midnight fantasies from that earlier album make room for tasteful up-tempo pieces, with which Carter shows that in the highest gear she can also maintain her warm round voice and clear pronunciation. The accompanying band proves itself sublime in tightness, without losing any blues- en soul-tinted emotion. Drums, bass and piano are in seamless alignment with the intense way in which Carter interprets the more and less originally chosen standards. It is technically impeccable mainstream repertoire, recorded unpolished in the live ambience of jazzclub Pannonica in The Hague. The bulk of the pieces flow easily from tongue to ear, from Rodgers en Hammerstein's recycled 'My Favourite Things' to the two tasteful original bonustracks.

- Armand Serpenti -

The presence of the audience in a venue, enabling their direct reaction to artists' performance, has defined the different character of this work in comparison with the previous disk by Carter. Besides ballads, on Girl-Talking! one can hear dynamic scattting, juicy blues (Ahmad's Blues - Ahmad Jamal), and jazz versions of pop hits (New York State Of Mind - Billy Joel) - and all this with arrangements by Deborah Carter. Deborah even risked presenting to the audience her version -probably the already umpteenth- of Yesterday by Lennon-McCartney. And quite convincing!

Carter - an excellent singer- is a real master of her craft.

- Leonid Auskern -

The voice of Deborah Carter equally embodies Latin, Soul and Blues. Deborah Carter has an unbelievably powerful voice, which on her third album again is supported by, unquestionably, a rhythmically strong combo consisting of Coen Molenaar (piano), Mark Zandveld (bass) and Enrique Firpi (drums). With "Girl Talking!" Deborah Carter puts out a quite refreshing and solid live album, which inspires one to attend a concert.

- Johannes Kloth -

The overall sound is just what you would associate while listening to a small band in an intimate jazz club. The opener, Rogers' & Hammerstein's My Favourite Things, is featured as a staggeringly swinging version with a great electric piano solo by Coen and sets the standard of things to come on this album. Although I was never very fond of the song by Lennon/McCartney, I must admit that Deborah brings a new dimension to the old chestnut Yesterday by adding her own arrangement...and suddenly Yesterday isn't such a hackneyed song anymore.
Donald Fagan's Between The Raindrops gets the special Deborah Carter treatment too. And you just know that that's the way this song has longed for to be recorded all the time.
A musically and vocally inspiring album and certainly makes your mouth water to go out and see Deborah and her band live in performance.

- Dirk Binsau -

Deborah J. Carter is a nomad whose international singing career lies beyond her native North America. Bluesy inflections, jazzy phrasing, and a mid-range earthy tone keep her busy in vocal jazz circuits from Spain into Central Europe.
Carter's interpretive framework in her second release is the trio format, although various guest musicians fortify the recording. The welcoming sense of intimacy afforded by Carter's singing is never lost, nonetheless. Her tribute to Carmen Lundy in "The Lamp Is Low" illustrates the latter point rather well. After a straight up piano-vocal duo head, the trio cascades into action for Carter's bouncy scatting and ensuing rhythmic happy-go-lucky choruses. Indeed, Carter's style and delivery could very well be compared with Lundy's. Both, however, remain distinctive and enjoyable entities in spite of their commonalities.
"The Late Late Show" is a swinging boppish vehicle for the trio's musical versatility. Although remaining within mainstream jazz territories, the musicians also outsorce Brazilian motifs. 'Round Moonlight is a rather generous recording in length, tempos, hints and steady jazz vocals from a woman in her vocal and intellectual prime. Her arranging and writing is as fine as the players that accompany her, who know how to support a vocalist in enriched and unobtrusive ways.
- Javier Antonio Quiñones Ortiz -

... it's such a good album like you would expect from an US American jazz singer like Carmen Lundy, Dianne Reeves or Nneena Freelon.

The album starts with a cover version of Moonlight (from the Sabrina motion picture), a pleasant slightly swinging jazz song with a nice acoustic guitar. The title song, 'Round Moonlight, was written by Deborah Carter and her pianist Coen Molenaar and is a great ballad with fine instrumentation by the trio line-up. Michael Frank's Monk's New Tune features some great vibes by Frits Landesbergen and never ever have lyrics like 'I'm drinking Mai-Tai's with pink umbrellas' sounded better. Frits and his vibes can be heard again on Moonflower (which he co-wrote with Deborah), a very good after hours ballad. Carmen Lundy's The Lamp Is Low gets a fine remake including some fine scatting by Deborah. Another original, Feels Like Summer (Summer Nocturne), sounds very interesting due to some additional percussion and udu by Jeroen de Rijk giving this track a little exotic feeling. From summer to autumn with Autumn Nocturne, another fine cover version that just fits perfect to the overall mood of this album. Add to these seven mentioned songs seven songs more like Wintertime (that's just Deborah and piano), a cover of Sting's Sister Moon (with a nice organ this is finally a version of a Sting song I like) and Henry Mancini's Moon River (from Breakfast At Tiffany's), here called La Luna and sung in Spanish. Deborah really adds something unique to this old chestnut.

With competent musicians, a great singer and a fine mixture of originals with (not so obvious) cover versions 'Round Moonlight is really a great and pleasant album that any lover of female jazz singers should have.

...Deborah J. Carter made with 'Round Moonlight' her most personal cd.

...original choice of pieces that all have something to do with moon, night and of course love.

She sings with a strong jazzy phrasing, and reminds sometimes of DeeDee Bridgewater, and sometimes of Sarah Vaughn.

... great intensity and driven performance.

A big plus is the open ensemble-sound dat she and her surprising subtle and tight basic trio create: no cluttered arrangements, but space for special chord colours, musical poetry and - above all - swing.

...played with love and solid craftmanship.

She sings relaxed, loosely swinging, and with a pinch of latin. And with that unmistakable feel that is the essence of jazz.

Noordhollands Dagblad

...one of the top artists in this country.
...very swinging and beautifully interpreted. There is excitement in the album.
...the naturally full voice of Deborah J. Carter...

She and her musicians turn every song into something special - very listenable, with care for the diction of the predominantly poetic lyrics. Instrumentally the fourteen songs are highclass.

The latin cuts are the beautiful ' Winter Samba ' which is an uptempo caribbean affair in a minor key and the salsa sounding ' Sabado' which would not be out of place on a Cal Tjader, Tito Puente or a Poncho Sanchez album. Perhaps influenced by her days spent in Spain in the early eighties.

Her arrangement of the Gilbert O'Sullivan 'Alone again naturally' is particularly refreshing with a mid tempo vocal interspersed with elegant jazz guitar riffs and grand piano breaks. I can just imagine sitting in a club listening to this cut live.

Deborah reminds in parts of Janis Siegel from Manhattan Transfer with her phraseology on the title track 'Scuse me' , the Turrentine influenced 'Sugar 2 me' and also Carmen Lundy ( Invitations ), Marilyn Scott (Avenida del sol) and Dee Dee Bridgewater (Here's that rainy day), yet on the Lennon and McCartney classic 'Golden Slumbers' and the silky 'breathless' she has the velvet voice of an Anita Baker ballad.

This 13 track gem certainly covers many styles across the waterfront and represents the many influences in Deborah's studies and her extensive travels. They highlight her vocal prowess and are performed flawlessly. 'Scuse Me' will certainly bring her to the attention of a wider global audience.

Jazz Site Rating - 9 outa 10