Described as "One of the brightest stars in jazzdom" by the Detroit News, Present Tense opens a new chapter in acclaimed multi-reedist James Carter's career, which since his stunning debut on J.C. On the Set from 1993 (which first appeared in Japan before its Stateside release in 1995) has seen a string of critically acclaimed albums, a role in the motion picture Kansas City directed by Robert Altman and the world premiere in 2002 of Concerto for Saxophones, written by Roberto Sierra with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

A multiple Downbeat poll winner, in 2004 Carter received one of America's highest cultural awards: The Dr. Alaine Locke Award, given annually to individuals who have provided exemplary service and leadership in the promotion of African American culture. Carter has a variety of groups, which he tours with extensively, including a traditional quartet, an electric group and an organ trio. He is a frequent visitor to Europe and can often be seen substituting in the World Saxophone Quartet.

Since his debut solo recording JC On The Set in...

Described as "One of the brightest stars in jazzdom" by the Detroit News, Present Tense opens a new chapter in acclaimed multi-reedist James Carter's career, which since his stunning debut on J.C. On the Set from 1993 (which first appeared in Japan before its Stateside release in 1995) has seen a string of critically acclaimed albums, a role in the motion picture Kansas City directed by Robert Altman and the world premiere in 2002 of Concerto for Saxophones, written by Roberto Sierra with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

A multiple Downbeat poll winner, in 2004 Carter received one of America's highest cultural awards: The Dr. Alaine Locke Award, given annually to individuals who have provided exemplary service and leadership in the promotion of African American culture. Carter has a variety of groups, which he tours with extensively, including a traditional quartet, an electric group and an organ trio. He is a frequent visitor to Europe and can often be seen substituting in the World Saxophone Quartet.

Since his debut solo recording JC On The Set in 1993, Carter has been widely admired for his incredible ability to play virtually any style of jazz with an unabashed authority and an explosive ability on every variety of saxophone: from the soprano to the mighty baritone sax Carter is master of them all. He earned his stripes as a young player on tours with Wynton Marsalis, as well as his mentor trumpeter Marcus Belgrave with whom he toured aged just 17.  Once he relocated to New York in 1988  he release no less than six albums as a leader between 1993 and 2000 – each showing his immense versatility and overwhelming virtuosity in every style from electric funk, to gypsy jazz and even a tribute to Billie Holiday. One of the most admired saxophonists of his generation makes his Universal debut with Present Tense, an album of uncompromising, swinging jazz. While it's music that has its roots in the jazz tradition, it's also forward looking, "How else could it be, with players like Victor Lewis on drums, D.D. Jackson on piano and Dwight Adams on trumpet?" asks Carter.

The all-star cast, which also has James Genus on bass, includes guest appearances by Rodney Jones on guitar and Eli Fountain on percussion. The album is produced by Michael Cuscuna, who sensed a challenge to capture the sheer range of Carter's enormous talent and his mastery of jazz idiom, which he felt had not really been adequately represented on earlier albums. "On going through James's entire output prior to recording Present Tense it struck me that many of his albums were ingenious concepts," he reflected. "As successful as each was, none of them captured the breadth of James's mastery of this music."

"When you see him live, he can reach for any decade in this music's history as easily as he can reach for any reed sitting around him on the bandstand. We wanted to bring that to the fore on this album. So you've got one great artist with one superb band interpreting everything from Django Reinhardt and Victor Young to pieces James wrote. I think with this album you really get a sense of the totality of who he is."

(Shrink Biography)