My Third Time With Kenny Carr

My Third Time With Kenny Carr

Bruce Von Stiers

About seven years ago or so I reviewed the album Turn The Page. It was from jazz guitarist Kenny Carr. He later recorded another album in titled Changing Tide that I also reviewed.

Kenny has a decent pedigree, having opening for an early ‘80's tour of Freddie Hubbard and being the guitarist for Ray Charles for ten years.

Late last year Kenny recorded yet another album. This one is titled Idle Talk. Kenny wrote all of the songs and played guitar on all of them as well. The album has nine songs and lasts a bit over an hour.

Of the people who helped out on Kenny's earlier albums, only sax player Donny McCaslin returned. The new players on the album are Kenny Wollensen on drums and Hans Glawischhig on bass. McCaslin received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Solo. Wollensen has played on more than 30 albums including ones by Tom Waits, Sex Mob and Natalie Merchant. Glawischnig has played on albums by artists such as Ken Hatfield and James Moody.

The title track, Idle Talk, is up first. It has some great sax and subtle guitar, bass and drums.

Jocose is the second song. It has a gentle tone, seemingly written for couples wanting to glide across the dance floor.

Reunions has a nice bass background along with drums and some pretty decent sax up front.

Waltz (Take Two) is slow and endearing with a lot of bass in the middle of the song.

Song For Fen has an almost rock ballad beginning then transitions into a kind of samba mode.

Slow and kind of sad sax can be heard in the ballad styling of Stay.

Things move kind of fast in the toe-tapping song Anthrozoology.

Blues Coffee has a subtle blues jazz sound that definitely lives up the song's title.

The album ends with Waltz (Take one). It, like the other waltz song, is gentle and endearing. The song showcases Kenny's guitar with a solo in the middle of it.

In one of my earlier reviews of Kenny's music, I called him an extraordinary guitarist. I still think so. With the songwriting and collaboration with other great musicians, Idle Talk is sure to be a major success for Kenny Carr.

Idle Talk is available at CD Baby, amazon.com and on iTunes.

You can find out more about Idle Talk and Kenny Cart at Kenny's official site at http://www.kennycarrguitar.com/

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