Customer Reviews

Carryin' On

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are generally two kinds of Grant Green fans: those who enjoy listening to his "soul jazz" work from the late 60's/early 70's, and those who absolutely despise it (the latter category tends to apply to most jazz purists). Whether it can be justifiably classified as jazz or not, "Carryin' On" is a somewhat decent example of this period, though maybe not the best place to start. Green's soloing is in fine form here, especially on the two slower numbers, "Hurt So Bad," and "Cease the Bombing." However, Green's own composition, "Upshot" is sloppily executed and treads on the same tired groove for nearly ten minutes. Fans of "Green Is Beautiful" and the brilliant "Alive" should find this worthwhile, as it does contain some classic inspirational moments from arguably the most underrated jazz guitarist of the century.

many jazz critics seem to dismiss a good deal of the later grant green releases - this one included. the biggest complaints i hear or read is that green was going for a more mainstream audience by bypassing the standards and playing the rhythm and blues hits of the time and that he changed his sound by adding more electronic instruments (electric bass and electric piano basically). the thing is, although green did modernize his sound, he didn't do it in a way that would make it sound like dated fusion today. he decided to ignore much of the pop and rock sounds that other jazz bands were heading too, and go for the sounds of straight-up boogaloo. what's remarkable about this release is that the sound has held up extremely well and if you were to hear it today, you'd swear it was one of the hipper groups on the modern scene.

Fans of Greyboy and other Jam bands... alas', your chance to hear it for real....

It was a few years since I dug this one up. I almost forgot that album featured Rhodes not B-3... which is kinda interesting... although the Rhodes had been around FOREVER prior to making it to the mainstream of funk and fusion in the '70s, kinda when you see "1969" as the release date and its a Grant album, you figure kinda expect a John Patton or Reuben Wilson type thang... but I digress... What we have hear is a VERY funky CD with not only Grant but Idris Muhammad on drums done at the same time that cats like Lou Donaldson and Reuben Wilson were saying, "O.K. we did the Blues thing, we're still bluesy, but now we're diggin' on James Brown !" - - and diggin' on James Brown they were. Though I DON'T WANT NOBODY (et al.) doesn't exactly sound like the original groove, its one mommy of a funked up Jam.

Additional personel include Claude Bartee, tenor; Willie Bivens, vibes, Clarence Palmer and Earl Neal Creque on Rhodes, Jimmy Lewis on bass.

People : Keep your fingers crossed and pray for a reissue of Reuben's Blue Mode and in the meantime go dig some Funk Inc.

Not a perfect cd but nice listening without being smooth jazz (though it influenced it). Grant Green's more solid albums are earlier: "Grantstand",
"Idle Moments" and especially "Matador" with McCoy Tyner and the rest of what was then John Coltrane's working group. Of course, Grant Green's transition to jazz funk was less interesting and more commercial but as the other reviews have said, the sound of a Fender Rhodes was more pleasing to the ears than the Hammond B-3 (though that has its fans too)
though despite the same keyboard, "In a Silent Way" this is not. Still solid jazz funk, without any major surpises and the best of Grant Green's funk period and one of his last solid albums.

I like Grant Green's funky period. This is a great cd from that period; and "Green is Beautiful" is great too. Idris Muhammed is the greatest funky jazz drummer of all time. Essential groove music.

Upped one star for period authenticity.

If I paid a cover at a small club in 1972 to hear Grant Green, my reaction to this band would've been, "Where's the Hammond?" Because a B3 is basically what it needs. It took an exceptional player to carry a band on a Fender Rhodes, & Clarence Palmer isn't brimming over with ideas. The sound of the piano is already too close to vibes. The song selection isn't particularly inspired; nice that they gave the James Brown number a try. The great Neil Creque contributes a pretty tune & sweet playing on "Cease The Bombing," but what that title has to do with the get-ready-to-make-out mood of the song can only be explained by assuming Neil had a very strong opinion about the Vietnam War. "Carryin' On" is like the middle set in a night's work; everyone's keeping something in reserve for the hipper late crowd.

This is a great CD. All the songs are strong, but especially 'ease back'. I just wish blue note would keep CDs from this era in its catalogue instead of doing a limited run and then letting them lapse again. Perhaps better yet, let people download good quality copies from the toshiba-emi website if producing the CDs themselves is too costly.