Castles of Ghana is an album by the American musician John Carter.[2][3] It was released in 1986.[4] Carter premiered the music at The Public Theater, in November 1985.[5] Carter chose the title after being informed that former Ghanaian castles had been used to hold Africans sold into slavery.[6]
| Castles of Ghana | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Studio | East Studio | |||
| Label | Gramavision[1] | |||
| Producer | John Carter, Jonathan F. P. Rose | |||
| John Carter chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was the second part of a five-part series on Black history, titled Roots and Folklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music.[7][8] The liner notes were written by Carter, who described the atrocity of slavery.[9] Benny Powell played trombone on the album; Andrew Cyrille played drums.[10][11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
| MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
Robert Christgau wrote that "this ain't jazz, it's modern chamber music, quite European in view of its ostensible subject."[12] The New York Times called the album "a powerful jazz composition in its own right and an ideal setting for the composer's hard-edged, penetrating clarinet improvisations."[15]
The Gazette noted that it "is not easy listening," writing that "Carter's compositions are closer to the European brand of improvised jazz, without the rhythmic and harmonic convention usually associated with the music."[16] The Los Angeles Times determined that Carter demonstrates "his amazing facility for jumping from one register to another with an ease that seems to extend the [clarinet]'s naturally capacious range."[17]
The Philadelphia Inquirer listed Castles of Ghana among the 10 best jazz albums of 1986.[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Castles of Ghana" | |
| 2. | "Evening Prayer" | |
| 3. | "Conversations" | |
| 4. | "The Fallen Prince" | |
| 5. | "Theme of Desperation" | |
| 6. | "Capture" | |
| 7. | "Postlude" |
References
edit- ^ "John Carter Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Kirchner, Bill (October 19, 2000). The Oxford Companion to Jazz. Oxford University Press.
- ^ Point, Michael (11 Apr 1991). "Legend of jazz passes away". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 15.
- ^ Harrison, Max; Fox, Charles; Thacker, Eric; Nicholson, Stuart (January 1, 2000). The Essential Jazz Records: Modernism to postmodernism. A&C Black.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (3 Nov 1985). "Jazz". The New York Times. p. A2.
- ^ Tesser, Neil (15 Nov 1989). "'Unfulfilled dreams' Carter opus tracks poignant experience of black migration". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
- ^ a b "John Carter Castles of Ghana". AllMusic.
- ^ Weinstein, Norman C. (September 2, 1994). A Night in Tunisia: Imaginings of Africa in Jazz. Hal Leonard Corporation.
- ^ Oliphant, Dave (September 2, 1996). Texan Jazz. University of Texas Press.
- ^ a b Davis, Francis (1 Jan 1987). "Best of 1986: In Jazz, the Year of the Composer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D1.
- ^ Smith, Will (January 18, 1987). "'Castles' Is One of Best from Last Year". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald.
- ^ a b "John Carter". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 227.
- ^ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 209.
- ^ Palmer, Robert (1 June 1986). "Jazz Virtuosos Usher in a Second Golden Age of the Clarinet". The New York Times. p. A25.
- ^ Block, Irwin (26 June 1986). "For a taste of the avant garde...". The Gazette. p. E2.
- ^ Feather, Leonard (12 Oct 1986). "Rebirth of the Clarinet?". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 57.