Carol Sudhalter to aktywna w świecie jazzu już od wczesnych lat 70-tych, saksofonistka, flecistka, lider big-bandu, producent i pedagog. Jako saksofonistka zdecydowanie preferuje specyficzny instrument barytonowy, co stawia ją w doprawdy niewielkim gronie kobiet grających na tego rodzaju saksofonie. Z kolei jako flecistka dysponuje charakterystycznym, wypracowanym przez lata brzmieniem. Ma na swym koncie ponad 10 albumów firmowanych własnym nazwiskiem oraz niezliczoną ilość płyt nagranych w rozmaitych konstelacjach. Urodzona w Wielkiej Brytanii, a od 1978 roku osiadła w Nowym Jorku Carol Sudhalter, poza występami w najważniejszych tamtejszych klubach jazzowych, regularnie koncertuje we Włoszech, Wielkiej Brytanii i Szwajcarii, a w jej CV znajdziemy nazwiska tak znakomitych artystów, z którymi miała okazję współpracować jak: Chico Freeman, Etta Jones, czy Jimmy Cobb.
Początek 2019 roku przyniósł nowy album Carol Sudhalter, zawierający zapis występu jej kwartetu w zwanym "pierwszym kościołem jazzowym" Saint Peter's Church. Skład kwartetu tworzą: Carol Sudhalter (saksofon, flet), Patrick Poladian (fortepian), Kevin Hailey (kontrabas) i Mike Campenni (perkusja), a w programie płyty znajdziemy m.in. oryginalne aranżacje tematów Benny'ego Golsona, Billa Evansa, Hanka Mobleya, Sonny'ego Rollinsa czy Antonio Carlosa Jobima.
Robert Ratajczak
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Carol SUDHALTER Quartet: Live at Saint Peter's Church
CD 2019, AlfaMusic AFPCD 194
program:
1. On A Misty Night
2. Park Avenue Petite
3. Time Remembered
4. Funk in Deep Freeze
5. Colin Blues
6. Valse Hot
7. Fun in the Alley
8. Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You
9. Luiza
personel:
Carol Sudhalter - saksofon, flet, wokal
Patrick Poladian - fortepian
Kevin Hailey - kontrabas
Mike Campenni - perkusja
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materiały prasowe:
Baritone saxophonist and flutist Carol Sudhalter
releases Live At Saint Peter’s Church, a set filled with superior compositions, inventive playing and swinging music.
Her quartet performs fresh renditions of songs by Jobim, Sonny Rollins,
Benny Golson, Tadd Dameron, Bill Evans, Hank Mobley, Don Redman
and two originals.
“A by-product of the current redressing of discrimination against women in government, the military, education, the professions, the arts, and elsewhere has been the realization throughout the jazz world that there are within its ranks countless and too-long-ignored female instrumentalist who are every bit as talented as their male counterparts. Saxophonist, flutist, big band and combo leader, producer, and educator Carol Sudhalterhas since the early 1970s been a leader, a pioneer really, in advancing the cause of women in jazz with her efforts to bring them to front and center in the performance arena. That she is uniquely equipped as a model in terms of her extraordinary artistry is made abundantly clear by her new CD Carol Sudhalter at St. Peter's (Alfa Music), an especially welcome release as a display of her world-class distinction on baritone saxophone and flute".
- W. Royal Stokes, author of "Growing Up With Jazz: Twenty-Four Musicians Talk About Their Lives and Careers", "Swing Era New York: The Jazz Photographs of Charles Peterson", and other books on jazz plus the trilogy "Backwards Over"
In her career, Carol Sudhalter has proven herself to be one of jazz’s top baritone saxophonists, a fine flutist and an original tenor soloist, leading over ten albums of her own. "Live At Saint Peter’s Church" features her at the head of a tight and complementary quartet that includes pianist Patrick Poladian, bassist Kevin Hailey and drummer Mike Campenni.
The music is straight ahead modern jazz with a few surprising twists. One of Tadd Dameron’s finest songs “On A Misty Night”, serves as an excellent introduction to the quartet with Ms. Sudhalter displaying her deep tone on baritone and each of the musicians having an opportunity to be featured. The lesser-known Benny Golson piece “Park Avenue Petite” is a haunting ballad that is well deserving of a revival; Sudhalter and bassist Hailey take melodic solos that build on the atmosphere. The leader switches to flute for Bill Evans’ moody “Time Remembered” and swings hard on Hank Mobley’s “Funk In Deep Freeze” with the latter also including an excellent solo by pianist Poladian and a fine drum chorus from Campenni.
“Colin Blues” has a special surprise, Carol Sudhalter’s debut vocal on record. Her singing is quite effective during her medium-tempo ballad, paying tribute to one of her students. Sonny Rollins’ charming jazz waltz “Valse Hot” follows and has particularly appealing solos from each of the musicians. Patrick Poladian contributes the lively swinger “Fun In The Alley”, bassist Hailey is showcased on “Gee Baby Ain’t I Good To You” and the colorful program closes with a brief melody statement on Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Luiza”.
Growing up in a musical family that had a father who played alto sax in the New England area and two musical brothers (including trumpeter and author Richard Sudhalter), Carol Sudhalter started on the flute while in college. She studied with Ran Blake and Phil Wilson at the New England Conservatory Of Music, took up the baritone sax, and in 1978 moved to New York. She played with the first all-female Latin band (Latin Fever), founded the Astoria Big Band (which has now been active for 33 years) and has worked with such notables as Etta Jones, Chico Freeman, Jimmy McGriff, Sarah McLawler, Henry Butler, Jimmy Cobb and Jason Marsalis in addition to leading her own groups.
Carol Sudhalter has performed in nearly every significant New York jazz club, at quite a few festivals, and regularly tours Italy, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. She has led over ten albums of her own, primarily for the AlfaMusic and Carolina labels.
"Live At Saint Peter’s Church" features Carol Sudhalter in top form with her quartet, and it is a significant addition to her musical legacy.
Interview with Monk Rowe:
